I Will Always Return
by ladywongs
Summary: AU. Eren is a titan shifter that lives in the Forest. The people of Shiganshina fear him, so they decide to give him a sacrifice and in return, he must leave the village alone. Mikasa is a girl who is chosen to be the sacrifice. When she is left in the forest, instead of finding a terrifying titan, she finds a lonely boy. Eremika.
1. Sacrifice

**«I Will Always Return»**

Characters belong to Hajime Isayama.

 **Summary:  
** AU. Eren is a titan shifter that lives in the Forest. The people of Shiganshina fear him, so they decide to give him a sacrifice and in return, he must leave the village alone. Mikasa is a girl who is chosen to be the sacrifice. When she is left in the forest, instead of finding a terrifying titan, she finds a lonely boy. Eremika.

* * *

 **AN/:** First of all, I want to thank my lovely friend Marzia for coming at me with this amazing idea, begging me to write it. I love youuu SO much, this story wouldn't be possible without you :') this is for you, sweetie. I also want to dedicate this chapter to my beautiful Karen who loves eremika as much as I do and for my incredible waifu who (even if she doesn't have a tumblr) she helped me with this story.

Considering how popular this fic became in my spanish account (Miss Wong) I finally decided to publish it here. Even if this fic doesn't contain smut and those things we all love about Eremika, is a very special story for me, I cried while I was writing it, and I hope you all like it too :) Again, sorry for my grammar issues.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **—o—**

The torches that illuminated the dark village were glistening similar to the northern lights that used to appear in the peaks of the mountains from the north whenever the winter was triumphing with fervor in Shiganshina. The murmur of the villagers was uncontrollable, like the sound of thousands of horses advancing to the unison. In their faces the fear and despair were becoming present, while the crying of a baby was interrupting the continuous prattle of the villagers from his mother's arms, who was desperate for making him stop.

"This cannot continue this way."

A strong and imposing voice made itself be heard, and immediately the multitude stopped murmuring when they heard it, for Erwin Smith, leader of the village, was speaking. Between the townspeople, he was recognized for being a respected man, in spite of his recently gotten twenty-nine years. Nevertheless, he was treated like someone older, wise and deserving of all the respect possible. They all watched him with attention.

"The titans left the world long ago and for hundred years nobody has known of them, the human race could live finally in peace, without interruptions or absurd spilling of blood. But this is unacceptable. We had numerous reports of which a titan of almost fifteen meters in height has made be seen in the Forest of Giant Trees. Up till now, it has not invaded the village but the hunters who traveled towards the mountains to bring us food have not returned, and their bodies haven't been found. I believe that it is clear that we are before a delicate situation. We cannot fight against that beast on our own, we must design a plan to eradicate it, or then we will have to be sorry about a tragedy."

The murmur of the multitude intensified, millions of intermingled voices and each one shouting something different.

 _"We must annihilate this demoniacal beast with our very own hands!"_

 _"The Forest of Giant Trees? How did he get there?"_

 _"We must fight!"_

 _"What if we just run away somewhere else?"_

Erwin lifted a hand in a peaceful sign.

"Silence, my friends. Let's not lose the little sanity that we have left," he warned. In less than two seconds the murmurs stopped. He sighed. "The files that our ancestors left to us affirm that titans are intelligent creatures, that they understand the human dialect. Since we cannot finish with it's life just like that, the only thing that we have left, is to interact with it, of some form, to try to bribe it. Zacklay has designed an interesting plan that of course will benefit us all. Come forward, my friend."

Dalliz Zackay was probably the second most powerful man in the village of Shiganshina. He was in charge of judging the sins of men, sentencing the thieves to death and on those that were said they were practicing the witchcraft; he send them directly to the bonfire. Zacklay was the justice of the people, and everybody trusted in him.

"We know for sure that this disgusting titan only wishes to consume human meat, to eliminate us completely like species. So I have thought that perhaps we should—"

"Oh, Dalliz, always so diplomatic..."

A too well-known voice—for misfortune of the villagers, made them all fall in a somber silence. The multitude listened to his irregular steps and little by little, they opened way to the uncontrollable Kenny the Ripper; an ancient villain who, as he once said, had repented of his acts and now was trying to walk towards the routes of light. Of course, nobody believed in that shit, Kenny was a damned drunkard living day by day stuck in the bar, drinking, but now he haven't caused major problems besides a couple of clandestine fights and for now nobody was considering him to be a major threat.

Nevertheless, they were afraid of him. It was not a good thing to get into the Ripper's path.

"As far as I know, Ripper, you have not been invited to this meeting." Erwin said, facing him with too much composure.

Kenny laughed and drank a gulp from his bottle.

"There's no need for an invitation to inform you guys that I do possess a plan good enough to expel the titan out of the village. But, well, you guys don't really trust me, huh? So it will be better if I just go away. Continue, Dalliz, I'm sure your magic plan will save us all, as always," he joked, and turned around to walk away.

"Kenny!" Erwin exclaimed, overwhelmed. "W-Wait a second. Say what you have to say."

With his back to him, Kenny smiled, pleased. He turned around and began to walk up and down, observing the faces of all the villagers. His steps were intimidating.

"If some fresh meat it's what this titan wants, I can deliver it to him. How about offering him human sacrifices with the condition of leaving these lands and never return?"

The deafening murmur emerged again, and the stupefaction in Erwin's face was uncontrollable.

 _"A human sacrifice?"_

 _"Are they planning on using one of us?!"_

 _"We need to fight!"_

"Q-Quiet, please." Erwin was calmed, not turning away from Kenny's eyes at all. "I have no idea what the hell you just drank today, but you are crazy if you think that I am going to risk to one of my—"

"Stop already with this false honorarium of yours, Smith," Kenny interrupted. "This is no time to act honorably. The life of your people is in game."

"And to whom do you plan to offer as the sacrifice? Or what? Will you offer yourself?" Zacklay asked.

Kenny's smile was brighter than the sun.

"My niece, Mikasa Ackerman," he answered. "The girl is an orphan, a real pain in the ass for my pacific life. I have thought off getting rid of her many times, but I don't want to gain another ticket to the cells. But this one seems to be a perfect moment, don't you think? Give and take, Erwin, that's it. You keep your people safe and I get rid of this unbearable brat, period. Both of us we get what we want."

Everything felt so disturbing. The little girl would not have any more than scarce thirteen years old, she was only a child. Would it be right to risk her life like that? He opened his mouth, ready to give a protest o at least try to negotiate another kind of solution, but Zacklay suddenly took him from the shoulder and turned him around, giving his back to the people.

"Do it, Erwin. Let's do it," he spoke, despaired. "He already said it, the brat is an orphan, and nobody will try to reclaim her. If this is the only solution to keep our people safe then this is what we must do. The end justifies the means. Your father always said that."

Erwin Smith looked amazed at its companion and friend who for so many years had advised him like an own father. Erwin closed his eyes, allowing to let out a deep sigh. The good of humanity, or the life of a little girl witch nobody might complain? He turned around, drizzled, and everything was quiet like a shadow.

"We know this is a difficult decision, but the end justifies the means. If this is the only way of being able to rid off this dangerous beast, to take care of our people, to keep our families safe… we should do it. Just think about our children's children, we really want this for them? A future with chaos, fear and death? The future of mankind is in our hands."

"Those that agree with carrying on the sacrifice… raise your hands." Zacklay's voice was cold as ice.

The people looked themselves, confused. Which was the best choice in a moment like that? A lot of them knew the girl; she was only thirteen years old and had lost her parents long time ago and her only home was the horrible slum of Kenny the Ripper. But other children were at risk too, kids who had a family, a family that would suffer deeply if they got murdered by those horrible beasts. Which was the best choice in a moment like that?

Little by little, the villagers began to raise their hands to the sky, frightened, but absolutely determined. A spark caught fire in Erwin's eyes. This one agreed, solemnly.

"Very well, then. So be it."

Kenny Ackerman, under the shade of the night, smiled pleased.

 **—o—**

Mikasa let out a sigh of pain, feeling her delicate knees scraping slowly against the wooden boards, product of her continuous work with the brush to leave the kitchen's floor shining clean as her uncle Kenny wanted. The girl did not understood why her uncle was always telling her to clean the house when he was the filthiest man on earth, a pig surrounded with dirt, but she didn't protest anyway. It was not such a good idea protest with Kenny.

She sighed, raising form the ground painfully. She looked at her knees; they were red and irritated, blazing like sun-burned skin. She left the brush on the bucket of black water and washed her face, the cold water relieving the ardor of her cheeks.

"Hey, Mikasa!"

The girl got startled, hearing her name coming from the window. She narrowed her eyes and her little body approached slowly to find Jean leaned on the other side, spying trough the rim of glass with his rebellious and uncontrollable hair flying like the wind.

The girl opened the window, freaking out, whispering.

"What are you doing here?! If Kenny finds out that—"

"He's on the bar!" Jean exclaimed. "I don't think he will get back soon. Come on, let's go!"

Mikasa bit the tip of her lip, doubtful. She had gained herself too many beatings for escaping from the house without Kenny's permission, but Jean was her best friend and she really wanted to rest her knees of after washing the floorboards, and, she was hungry. Mikasa expanded the frames completely and crossed the sill carefully, being supported by Jean's hand. As soon as Mikasa's feet touched the ground, Jean looked at her knees.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked, Mikasa looked away, a slightly ashamed look painting her eyes. "Come."

Both walked towards a corner of the city and Jean made her sit down on a rock. He took a handkerchief that he had hidden in the pockets of his pants and dampened it with a bit of water from a bucket on the ground, and there delicately brushed the dampened cloth over Mikasa's knees. The water was very cold and it calmed the ardor greatly. "Better?" Jean asked.

Mikasa nodded with a soft smile.

"Thanks. You're my salvation as always."

Jean's cheeks reddened and Mikasa thought it was cute. After he finished with her knees, Jean surprised her with two small bags of newly baked bread, he had them right under his arms but she didn't notice until now. Both sat down in the floor and started eating. Kenny didn't left anything for eating on the kitchen and Mikasa was starving.

Jean's mother was proprietor of a bakery, so she supposed that Jean had borrowed some food. His mother never approved their friendship, Kenny didn't count with a good reputation and to be constantly frequenting a girl who was sharing the same blood of that pig wasn't right according to Jean's mom, she was very protective of her Jean-boo. Anyhow, Mikasa felt grateful for the gesture. He was probably the only kid who wasn't afraid of her, the only friend she ever had. During her short life the only thing Mikasa got to knew was around loneliness. Kenny was always leaving the house early and letting her all by herself, cleaning, cooking, getting bored day by day. The weekends were the perfect days for Kenny to get drunk, and Mikasa had to stand his constants screams and abuses of which she was totally sick, but there was nothing that she could do about it.

She was condemned to live with that bastard forever.

"You should do something, Mikasa," Jean spoke. "He can't keep treating you like this anymore. Come to my house, I can hide you on the basement, mom will never know you're there."

"That's not going to change anything. Kenny will find me, he will know you helped me," Mikasa sighed, melancholic. "Sometimes I would like to get rid of him, once and for all."

Jean opened the eyes, surprised and with his mouth full bread.

"Y-You're not serious, aren't you?"

It was a very unstable though for a little girl, but it was nothing but the truth. She couldn't lie to herself, not when she remained looking at the rat poison in the larder during two long minutes, imagining how it would be to introduce some of it into Kenny's beer and observe him dying slowly. But that were only ideas, things that Mikasa used to dream because she wasn't entirely sure about being capable of doing something like that. It would bring so much troubles, people in the town knew with how much cruelty Kenny the Ripper used to treat his poor niece, they would not hesitate to blame her for murder and Mikasa had a very miserable life as to want to finish her days inside a cell.

"No." she whispered. "But I only wish he would just leave…"

In silence, Jean took her hand with shyness.

After a little bit of meaningless chats, Jean got back to his place and Mikasa returned to hers. While the sun was hiding, the girl was useful to clean and to arrange the rest of hanging things before Kenny was returning. Of course he would come back very hungry, but in the kitchen there was nothing more than a small bag with five potatoes. She set them to boil, even if they were small Kenny at least would have something to eat. She lit some candles to illuminate the house and then, when she extinguished the fire to remove the pan, a thick and strong hand covered the mouth from behind. For the intense smell of alcohol, she knew it was Kenny. Her heart fluttered quickly and trembled, not again...

"Shhh…" he said to her ear.

Kenny grabbed her hair firmly as his hand slid upon her mouth to keep it shut.

Mikasa started trembling, what the hell? He abandoned the house with her and started walking through the lonely and dark alleys of the village. They walked in silence along the streets, the cold winter bringing little snowflakes that were sticking above her chilly little cheeks. Little by little they speeded up to entering unto the main park, the center of the town, where a big multitude of villagers were reunited with torches and wooden spades.

What the heck was happening?

Kenny pushed Mikasa and she fell down of knees to the ground, being the center of attention in front of all the people there gathered. She gasped, a burning pain crossing her knees right where her scrapes were, little twigs digging into her skin, making her let out a soft groan. Erwin Smith appeared between the crowd along with Zacklay and Levi, the best hunter of the whole village and one of the right hands of Erwin.

"I believe that we all agree with this, I don't want to deal with last regrets," Erwin spoke firmly. "The sacrifice of the girl here present will be enough for that damned beast to leave us alone."

 _Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice…_

The word resounded in her head over and over.

Zacklay came forward and place above Mikasa's neck a big parchment note with many words Mikasa didn't even bother to read. She was trembling; they all were looking at her, and her uncle seemed pleased. It didn't take long for Mikasa to understand the situation. They'd all had heard about that horrible titan that was living in the forest and how it was eating all of the hunters. He ate human beings.

Humans beings, like her.

Mikasa opened the eyes, breaking into unstoppable weeping and sobbing, as she turned around towards her uncle. Her knees scraped when she crawled through the ground and embraced his legs strongly.

"No, no… please, don't…" she cried.

Kenny looked at Erwin.

"Hurry up, Smith. I'm not a big fan of sentimentalities."

With a sigh, Erwin's soldiers took Mikasa from her arms and tried to separate from Kenny, who stayed calm without doing anything. Mikasa screamed, sticking to his legs while they were trying their best to separate her of him.

"No, no! Uncle, please, please!"

Nile grabbed her in his arms as she kicked and trashed about, driven to despair for getting away from her grip. Levi approached Erwin, furiously.

"Erwin, this is a fucking madness, what the hell are you—"

"Shut up, Levi." He kept silence, without saying another word.

Nile carried the girl and the people lifted their weapons to the sky, shouting with exhilaration. Mikasa sobbed after she saw a child appearing between the crowd, confused and scared. It was Jean. This one, hopeless, ran towards her trying to reach out hia hand.

"Mikasa! Mikasa!" He screamed in-between violent sobs.

"Jean! Tell them! Tell them I've done nothing wrong! Tell them!"

"Mikasa!" He shouted again, but his mother appeared and dragged him again towards the crowd. "No, let me go! What are you doing! Mikasa!"

Nile took a stick and struck the girl from behind, making her fall unconscious. Then, along with the rest of the men, they carried her and entered in the forest.

Levi cursed, bad-tempered, while he was looking sideways at Erwin. This was bestiality. How could they do that to a girl? Levi wasn't particularly a children lover, they were stinky and annoying. But that wasn't justifying something like this, to finish with that kiddo's life, a girl that everybody in the town knew, including Levi. Shy, solitary, and living under the yoke of the Ripper, that disgusting monster.

"Do you realize what have you just done?" he replied.

Zacklay looked at him unwillingly.

"You don't have children of your own, Levi. You don't understand this sacrifice. If you had a family to protect you would have done the exact same thing."

"You should've offered Kenny as a sacrifice in her place, now _that_ would have been a good move for humanity, you little prick." He protested, and left that stupid place immediately.

As always, Hanji followed him.

"Ah, now that's a shame!" she complained, adjusting her glasses. "To ask a beast like that to abandon this lands... imagine all the knowledge we could learn from him!"

"Tsk." Levi breathed heavily. "You're so full of shit."

 **—o—**

When Mikasa woke up, everything that she saw was pitch-black darkness.

Her eyes opened slowly, snowflakes raining down on her face, sliding on her cheeks like frozen tears. She breathed only to make sure that wasn't dead and a soft steam emerged out of her lips, so dry and cold like the snow in which she was lying down. She trembled, dead cold, and with a horrible pain in the back of her head. She was in the middle of the forest, understanding that it was night and that she was completely alone—in addition to remembering what had happened time earlier, she started crying. She embraced herself, looking at her knees that seemed redder that earlier and she noticed that beside her there was a note. Everything was full of darkness, but she managed to read it.

 _"We know that you, the titan, understand the human dialect.  
_ _We offer you this girl as a sacrifice, but there's only one condition,  
_ _you must leave this lands and never return.  
_ _If you don't do it, we will take retaliations."_

For a moment she had forgotten, the titan. Oh, crap… the titan! It would eat her as soon as it discovered she was there. She had to go out of the forest as soon as possible, but didn't know exactly how to do that, or where to go in the first place. She looked at the starred sky, the northern lights dancing on the frozen peaks of the mountains, and was surprised on having noticed how big and fat the trees were. They were all so big and tall, looking ever imposing, so being in a place like that made her tremble. She lowered her sight and walked slowly, trying not making too much noise.

Any sound was scary to her, any shade those gigantic trees were providing, were making her believe the titan was right there, following her, watching her like a predator would to its prey.

What would she do now? Maybe die, because of the freezing temperatures or inside of the titan's mouth. Her hands were numbed by the snow; she didn't bring a overcoat where she could hide her hands or a scarf to keeping her warm. She tripped over a stone and she fell into the ground, her knees crashing the little stones making her skin hurt like he'll.

Why? Why everything was so unfair? She had lived for and to please his uncle, buying to him all the alcoholic crap he wanted, cleaning and cooking for him. She didn't have any friends, nor a nice father or a loving mother who could be along with her, as so many times she had seen in other children of the town. Mikasa had always depended of herself for absolutely everything. Now she was lonelier than ever. She left herself fall over the snow and closed the eyes, hoping the cold be enough to finish with her misery at once. If dying was meaning not having to breathe again nor suffer, then it wasn't so bad. Little by little she fell into a deep slumber.

Hours later, very much later… days, perhaps, or years? Mikasa was not sure, she began feeling something. A soft warmth surrounding her, covering her body and was making her feel good. Perhaps she had died and now she had found all the peace she was looking for. But no, having opened her eyes, she knew that wasn't dead at all.

She was still inside the forest, under the shade of a tree whose branches let some small sun rays infiltrate, directed to her face, provoking heat too beautiful to be true. She was surprised on having seen, on her, a big blanket of wolf pelt covering her, providing her the necessary warmth. She took the blanket off carefully and she discovered that in her knees there were two firmly fastened white cloths, protecting the wounds.

She was definitely not alone there. Maybe some hunter found her? But nobody was coming to these forests since the titan had begun to be a problem for the population.

She got up carefully and placed the blanket over her shoulders, for the snow was still falling although it was melting when it got in contact with the soil of the ground. Mikasa looked around her, trying to find the cause of it all. She walked trying not to get too far away from tree under in which she had woken up minutes earlier, when she saw a shade behind another tree.

She stopped, surprised.

"I-Is anyone there?" asked, tremulous. She approached a little more. "Hello?"

On the same tree a pair of shining green eyes appeared from an end, though a bit doubtful at first. Mikasa squinted her eyes, curious, and the child went out of its secret hideout. He probably was around her age, only that he was a little taller than her, and thin. He was dressed in pants, a white shirt and a dark pullover. What was a young kid like him doing in the forest? Maybe he was from Shiganshina? And if they used him for the sacrifice too?

Slowly, the kid slowly abandoned the shade of the tree. He was wearing a bright red scarf around his neck.

She felt sorry for him. Perhaps he was in the same horrible situation as her.

"You did this?" It was Mikasa the one who asked, touching gently the wolf skin on her back. It's fragrance was soft like roses, like summer and autumn.

He nodded, without saying anything.

"Thank you," She muttered. "I'm Mikasa. What's your name?"

The child furrowed his brow, not very convinced. Perhaps wasn't used to speak with little girls, as Jean. Although Jean usually blushed, this kid seemed mentally disturbed, as if she was some kind of creature not ever seen before his eyes.

"Eren."

The warm and determined voice, although for an instant, made her heart flutter.


	2. Titan

**«I Will Always Return»**

Characters belong to Hajime Isayama.

 **Summary:  
** AU. Eren is a titan shifter that lives in the Forest. The people of Shiganshina fear him, so they decide to give him a sacrifice and in return, he must leave the village alone. Mikasa is a girl who is chosen to be the sacrifice. When she is left in the forest, instead of finding a terrifying titan, she finds a lonely boy. Eremika.

* * *

 **AN/:** Credits to MsStampede for original summary.

* * *

 **—o—**

"I'm thinking of doing something stupid."

Levi's voice rang unequal under the babble of the city that afternoon. Shiganshina had always been a feature town for being very energetic, a city that never sleeps and the idleness was not own from its people, whom used to wake up very early in the morning, the merchants opening their stores so they could get their daily bread. Levi was not a loafer, but that day had woken up late. During the night it was impossible for him to get some sleep, reviving constantly in his mind the event that had made the people whisper more than it should. The name of Mikasa Ackerman was uttered over and over. Some people referred to her as the perfect bait for humanity's victory, others appalled the tragedy, wondering if she was still alive. Levi's mind haunted with millions thoughts that morning, he didn't know why. The brat wasn't his daughter, niece, nothing at all. Why he felt so worried about it, more than everyone else?

Hanji looked upon him, curious, re-adjusting her glasses. Her pony tail looking messy upon her head. "What do you mean?"

Levi fell down over a barrel in the middle of the town; not caring too much if wasn't clean.

He looked at her, somber.

"What do you think about what happened last night? You think Erwin's right?" he asked, wishing his friend could share his same thoughts. From all the fuckers inside that village, Hanji was the only person he really trusted.

Hanji huffed, waving her hand.

"You already know what I think, Levi," she said, disappointed. "That titan could have been a great opportunity to carry out my researches. For some reason, he never entered in Shiganshina. Maybe he's scared, the human race can be very intimidating if Erwin Smith is who supports it. It's a shame no one can see that. Erwin thinks force it's the solution, but, what about what's inside our own brains? Of all the knowledge we can share to others? Ah, Zacklay's beard! This is so unfair…"

Levi remained silence.

Most of the titans were out there, breathing, walking and seeking for human flesh. Of course, the villagers weren't aware of that fact. Erwin Smith devised a beaming plan to make them believe for years that titans abandoned the lands and Levi knew the sacrifice of that little girl was another impulse for the people to keep believing in his lies. For the rest of the world Levi was just a hunter, and even if part of it was true, it wasn't exactly like that. His hidden expeditions outside Shiganshina to look out for signs of another human civilization were constant. He'd cut the titan's neck with his blades million times, he'd seen his comrades die in battle million times too, but still, titans didn't seem interested in entering Shiganshina.

They used to abandon the lands as if something within the city ordered them to leave immediately. Hanji always seemed particularly interested in that peculiar behavior. Titans never showed mercy at the moment of true, when their mouths wide-open were swallowing them all like cockroaches, but even still, they never seemed to get the courage to cross the fine line dividing _the wild lands_ , as the villagers used to call it, from the land of civilization.

"I'm planning to go for the girl."

Hanji's gasped.

"W-What? Are you serious?! B-But, Levi, maybe she's already de—"

"I know," He interrupted, fretful. "You think I'm stupid, shitty glasses? She's probably dead by now, but I don't lose anything trying to find that out. Sounds odd, I know, the fucking brat isn't anything of mine, however I feel sick just by imagining her in that forest all by herself, being eaten by that beast… I can't understand how Erwin could let something like this to happen. I thought he was better than that."

"They're all good men until the moment of true comes," she muttered, letting out one of her usual inspiring sentences. "But, when will you go?"

"I don't know, maybe in a few days. If I leave today Erwin may suspect. Friday we go hunting, right? It could be a good opportunity."

"Can I go with you?"

Levi peered at her, finding a big couple of chocolate eyes staring at him with a despairing feeling. Hanji Zoe's obsession for titans was sickly and if her friend was about to get into a dangerous forest, property of a titan, Hanji would never waste the chance to go with him. As long as silence remained, Levi knew Hanji would get on her knees to persist screeching, causing a scandal worthy of shame.

With a dull stare, he let out an abyssal sigh.

"As long as you don't start screaming when you see it…" he concluded, letting her known his position about it.

He got up from his seat, starting to walk away through the streets.

Her steps behind him were throbbing like thunders.

 _"YAHOOO!"_

—o—

 _Eren, Eren, Eren…_

She liked how the milder sound of his name swayed inside her head. It was short, easy to remember. But that didn't change the fact she was _alive_ , when unconsciously she'd have let herself fall into the snow expecting to _die_. Forever. The air around her was still feeling cold, what she was supposed to do now? The boy, Eren, turned around immediately as if her presence there were insignificant. He started walking, pacing around, scrutinizing some branches from the sheets on the ground stuffing them in his pockets, carrying them in his little arms like a baby.

"Why did you helped me?" she asked, flustered.

Eren didn't look back at her, he bended above some bending trees and started tearing up some little white pellets. They were mushrooms.

"You were looking half-dead out there, and I got scared." He said, but by the foreign pitch of his voice Mikasa knew he was lying.

She always considered herself a person whom could easily detect people's lies. Uncle Kenny said many, especially when he was drunk. However, she didn't say anything about it.

"You can keep the coat if you want," Eren said slightly. "I don't need it. Your dad must be a hunter, right? You got lost. Just follow that path over there and you'll get back to Shiganshina in secs."

Eren pointed out the way with his hands, but Mikasa didn't bother to look up to his indications. He wasn't a hunter's son? Why was he in the middle of the forest, so self-conscious, when the titan could just appear anytime? The boy rambled around, away from her. Mikasa followed him, not knowing the reason. The boy released out the branches aiming to climb a big tree, taking some apples. From his position, Mikasa knew the boy would fall down.

"You are going to fall down…" she muttered, barely unconscious.

Eren blurted out a whimper.

"I will not," He replied. "I'm not a child."

He arrived at the floor from the tree with a rattle. He'd grabbed again the branches and continued his way, while an aimless Mikasa followed him unsure exactly of what to do next. After a few steps, Eren seemed to notice a second shadow behind him. He turned around, fretful.

"Why are you following me? I've already told you the way out, your dad must be worried so it'd be better if you go back."

He whipped, retaking his way, but Mikasa stopped him.

"Wait!" she followed him, frantic, clattering. "I… I'm not any hunter's daughter. I have nobody… I'm alone in here."

Eren stopped, quiet as a rock. Slowly he turned around, his face totally hazy staring at her, fiercer, more threatening. For some reason, her words did not like him that much.

" _Alone_ , you said?" Repeated. "What are you doing in here?"

Mikasa asked herself the exact same question.

"Why are _you_ doing in here?" She asked in return, faintly.

The boy looked at her, somber, blurting out a scathing huff. He went to her, very slowly, making her walking backwards.

"I'll make the questions here." He demanded, gazing at her with those big green orbs of his. "So, you're not a hunter's daughter, huh? Then, what are you doing here? Are you from Shiganshina? Did they send you to—"

He stopped, knowing he overtalked.

"I—I'm not here to hurt you," She shuddered. "If that's what you think…"

"You better be," The boy threatened. "Because my killer beast could tear you apart if you try something funny."

Mikasa stumbled with some branches and fell down into a mountain of sheets, Eren staring at her from above, eyes stiffened.

"Y-Your killer b-beast?"

 _"Armin!"_ Eren screeched, his haunting glance never abandoning her eyes.

Mikasa started counting to three, rigidly and stilled, and from among some shrubbery a tiny fox appeared. Mikasa had never seen one before. The hunter's of Shiganshina used to catch them to sell their pelages, but finding one for the first time was like a dream. It was so beautiful, his skin as bright as the sun, his little nose, all black and pointy.

The girl could not help but let out a giggle.

"That's… your killer beast?"

He frowned, his little hands shaking, deep flaring eyes.

"Don't laugh at me!" He yelled out. " _Armin_ can be extremely fierce when he wants to!"

 _Armin_ went over her full of curiosity; maybe too impress to have an unbidden visitor in his forest. She touched him, smiling, softly nipping at his ears. The fox sniffed her fingers; it was the cutest little animal Mikasa had ever seen. She looked at Eren, his eyes full of disappointment because of his little friend's betrayal. He sighed.

"He's not attacking you just because I commanded him not to."

"He's cute." She muttered, entering her fingers into _Armin's_ neck. The fox arched, enjoying all the attention.

Little by little Mikasa abandoned her fantasy to remember the real reason of why she was in the forest. She released Armin and headed her eyes to Eren, the boy didn't stop looking at her.

"You live here?" She asked, carefully.

Eren didn't seem to feel comfortable around her, but he nodded.

"But you don't. You shouldn't be here. It'd be better if you come back from where you came from."

Eren turned around and with a whistle, _Armin_ followed him. Mikasa got up and stammered behind him, feet aching.

"I c-can't go back!" And right after that, Mikasa fell down over the soil, the wounds upon her knees starting to burn all over again. "I… I can't, they… they left me here…"

He stopped.

"They?" Asked, not quite sure.

Mikasa spit out all that she knew. Anyway, what could happen? She was already condemned to death just for being in these woods. "They offered me as a sacrifice to the titan… they want him to go away… so they left me here. My uncle… _he_ left me here. I can't go back."

"The… titan?" He asked, more to himself, ignoring Mikasa's presence.

"Have you seen it?"

If the boy lived inside the forest how was it possible that the titan never found him yet? Maybe he used a cave to hide or something like that. Eren flickered.

"Yeah, I've seen it. He's very fearsome, heavy-looking; his teeth so long and sharp he could tear you apart in just one bite. So it'd be better if you go away before he returns and decides to eat you."

Without another word, Eren turned around and started walking away from her, Mikasa's heart fluttering inside her chest with a million bursts. That wasn't okay, that little girl shouldn't suppose to be in that forest and it was dangerous. So dangerous. He stopped when he noticed _Armin_ didn't start following him like usual. Curious, he turned around and found him right beside the girl, staring at her, she was still sitting between the sheets, alone and shattered, probably trying to figure out what the hell to do now with her miserable life.

Then, he felt it. That horrible and nasty thing called _guilt_. Biting back a growl, Eren went over her and took her at the end of her arms, lifting her from the soil engulfed in a deep restlessness at not knowing what the hell he was doing.

"Come on."

He began to walk into an unknown direction, his tiny body guiding her aimlessly trough the dark woods, clinging to him. She stumbled over some branches, _Armin_ following them frenzy. Her knees began to hurt again and she was hungry; very hungry.

"Where are we going?" She asked, startling.

He didn't answer. The hike didn't last long, but for Mikasa felt like an eternity. After a while, Eren's grip was slowly decreasing, his hand firmly clinging against hers giving some jerks to make her go faster. Gazed and rammed, Mikasa let him ride the wave. Then, she saw a wooden cabin hidden within some trees. It looked unkempt, broken and small, probably was there inside the woods for a long time, moisture and rain had made it look impaired, it was small, but cozy.

When they arrived at the front door which was only an arc cause the door was broken, Eren push her slowly to make her get in. Carefully, Mikasa ventured inside the cabin, pacing around. Even if part of the roof was broken, giving a way to the the caressing sunlight, it was a beautiful place. Scrutinizing the inside of the cabin Mikasa noted it was full of odd stuff. In the middle there was a boiler onto a small bonfire, the water inside boiling feverishly. Beside some windows, large numbers of blankets of all colors were decorating the soil, maybe it was Eren's bed. On the walls there was an old wooden table full of dead insects clinging to the walls; butterflies, crickets, mantis, centipedes and even some beetles. She giggled, that kid was odd.

Over the table there were vessels full of colored little pebbles, big sheets and salt, grapes and a jar of water.

 _Armin_ went over the blankets and lay down there, moving his tail side to side. A few minutes later, Eren entered the cabin with a big basket full of green apples, so green as his own eyes. He gave her one and took a sit in front of the bonfire. Mikasa followed suit.

She swallowed the apple rigidly.

"Are you alone?" Asked. "Where are your parents?"

His eyes were milder this time, dazzling with the dance of the flames, stilled as the wind.

"My mom died years ago. And my dad…" he hesitated, hazy. "My dad… I don't know where he is. It's been years since I last saw him. Yours?"

"They died when I was a baby. My uncle Kenny raised me since then." Uttered, with the need to start crying all over again at knowing he was the responsible for this.

"He left you here?"

Mikasa nodded, putting a lock of hair behind her ear. She never truly loved her uncle and the displeasure was mutual, but Mikasa never thought he would be able to do something as cruel as this, sell her as if she was a mere piece of meat. Deep inside, she was hoping he wanted to keep her at least as a servant, as horrible as that may sound, but the reality was different. She was way less than that.

She was nothing.

"Yeap," Huffed, clasping her arms. Mikasa stared at him and found, wrapping his neck, a tiny golden key. Staring at him, curious, she asked, "What's that key for?"

Eren flickered and shuddered like a baby, bewildered by her question. Slightly he touched the key.

"My… father gave it to me before he left. I've kept it since then."

"What opens?"

For a moment his eyes ached, full of a spite that seemed to consume him all at once. Her heart fluttered, he looked miserable. The spark in his green eyes slowly fading away. "I don't know."

—o—

"There you go."

Kenny Ackerman watched doubtful the bag full of money between his hands, a bag that Erwin Smith handed him carefully. Behind him, Zacklay seemed so impatient as always, wishful to put an end to that stupid reunion in the middle of the night. Kenny took the bag and opened it ensuring that all the agreed money was inside, just as he wanted, a fortune ready to be used. But for his luck, Erwin Smith always kept his promises till the end and if he'd promised Kenny a thousand coins for contributed with the _good of humanity_ , it was merely a fact that the fortune would be his.

"Very well," Kenny said, a shimmering smile crossing his face. He putted away the bag and looked at them both inside Erwin's office, at the donjon downtown. "But I'm afraid this may not be enough for me."

Zacklay glanced at him, fretful.

"Goddammit, Kenny. What else do you want? We've given you what you wanted."

The ripper stared at Zacklay.

"Yeah, and I say it's not enough. I want you to go to that goddamn forest and check out if my niece is dead."

Erwin sighed.

"It's a fact the kid is dead. Any child of her age can't survive a single night in the Forest of Giant Trees, especially with a titan circling the lands. Besides, I will not risk my men in vain. Friday I'll send some hunters to get some food and I'll tell them to look around if you want to. It's my last word, now go and buy that pretty house you've always wanted. I believe it's still on sale."

Kenny huffed and left the tower with his money. Definitely he would be buying that house, it has been under his sight long time enough and now that he possessed the necessary money to obtain it, he wouldn't miss the opportunity. He sighed, tittered, when suddenly a somber and chilly voice reverberated around him, breaking his comfort-zone.

"Enjoying your reward?"

Kenny stopped at the sound of Levi behind him. He turned around, finding him recharged against the entrance door from the tower, idly, grey eyes beaming under the moonlight, fiercer than ever.

But Kenny was not afraid of that bastard.

"Since how long you don't get laid, boy?" Asked, dull. "Do it, son. Go to the tavern, find some whore whom is interested in you and enjoy some life pleasures, love... you look like a fucking corpse."

The Ripper flipped around to go home, but the icy crackle he blurted out made Kenny stop. Levi wasn't a guy who laughed that easily.

"Keep joking around, Ripper. Spend your money on whores, alcohol and a pretty house. Keep manipulating Erwin's twat, making him believe all this is for the good of humanity. You can fool him, but you can't fool me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That since now, you better start watching your back," He threatened. "Even with twenty-eight years I still don't forget you were the responsible for my father's death."

Said that, Levi walked away not wanting to extend the scene, but Kenny continued with what he already had started.

"You're going to kill me, Levi?" He joked, tittering. "In case you forgot, I've taught you everything you know now. But this entire drama thing is because of Mikasa, right? Yeah, sure it is. Why it doesn't surprise me?"

Levi stared at him, confusion traveling through his eyes. "What does not surprise you?"

But Kenny didn't gave him an answer, instead, he smiled, a bright and happy sigh full of cruelness. He decided not overtaking that much so he just walked away, passing by Levi's side and giving him a firm pat on his shoulders. He left over the way he came, whistling a song during his trip.

Under the moonlight, Levi clenched his fists grimly.

 **—o—**

Through the rest of the day Eren and Mikasa took advantage to simply just talk. Locked inside the sweet warmth of the cabin, Eren changed the bandages of her knees replacing them with new ones, putting onto her bruises an odd mix of mud and herbs that eased the burning pain on her wounds. He showed her some tricks he taught _Armin_ , the little girl clapping her hands every time his little pet obeyed each one of his orders.

Mikasa told him about Uncle Kenny and the horrible way he used to treat her, how using her her as a stupid servant in his home had snatched her freedom entirely. Straight out, Eren's eyes flared with chafe, telling her she was a stupid girl for letting his uncle treat her like that for such a long time. Any topic concerning injustice got him extremely mad, affirming that freedom was a natural human right and surprisingly, for Mikasa, he thought he could be a great leader for Shiganshina. She asked the reason of why he didn't lived inside the town, but Eren just muttered a slow _I don't think it's a good idea to live in there._

They ate almost the entire strawberries Eren had in his basket and when the sky was dyed black they laid down at the front of the cabin to admire the starry sky. Despite the giant trees that covered almost the whole sky, above the cabin its branches released a cozy spot that allowed a stunning view of the stars.

None of them said anything, but she knew he would let her spend the night in the cabin. His bad mood was gone, making a way to answer her questions nobly and smiling at her shyly. In any moment Eren mentioned something about the titans and through all day, Mikasa came to the conclusion that maybe that titan never truly existed. Maybe it was just a stupid fairy tale that had become popular inside Shiganshina for some weird reason. She didn't know it, but Mikasa felt more relieved about that fact.

Eren pointed out a spot in the sky.

"There," he said, utterly cheerful. "That tiny star next to the moon… it's called Onix, the titan star. Silly, right? Being titanic but yet so small. The legend says that when Onix gets close enough the moon to touch it, Onix will blow up and all the titans of the earth will disappear forever. I don't know if that's true or what, but I get the feeling that Onix is closer and closer to the moon every time I see it."

"It's pretty…" She just muttered.

But Eren kept on talking, his voice growing lower and lower, a foreign music engulfed in a deep sorrow.

"My…" he started, doubtful. "My dad used to say that when we die we become stars. We travel through time and space and our bodies get stuck in the sky like bugs in a cobweb. From up there we see everything, faithful viewers of the mortal world. Every time someone dies, a new star is born. The brighter is the newest."

That was a hopeful story.

"I wonder if my parents are stars too," She asked, eyes caught up in that beaming view. She leaned her face to once side, still watching the sky. "What do you think? Stars are people for you?"

Eren let out a sigh, not knowing what to say.

"I hope so." Uttered, briskly caressing _Armin's_ ears, the fox sleeping onto his chest.

Slowly, Mikasa fell asleep in a deep abyss, windy air fluttering a tendril from her head. Eren parted his lips to keep on talking, finding her eyes totally slept. Deep inside, the entire situation seemed bizarre. For a long time he made sure to avoid all kind of human contact, creating ties that eventually would be broken. _Armin_ was everything he needed, his best friend. Why he would ever want to have human friends? The few people he knew were already dead, abandoning him like his own father did. But in that ephemeral instant he really wished for Mikasa to never go away. He didn't remember having so much fun with someone in ages, being able to talk with somebody who would listen and actually say something unlike _Armin_ , always watching him in silence with his pointy little ears of his.

For the very first time in a while, Eren didn't feel so lonely anymore.

He covered his new friend with some wool blankets and pinched her chin friendly.

He sighed.

"Goodnight, Mikasa."

—o—

The morning after Mikasa waked up very early because of Eren's command. He was looking very excited to show her the dawn, he said the view from the final hills was stunning, so they ate some apples as breakfast and Eren carried Mikasa on his back, _Armin_ pursuing them around. They climbed a tree to catch a better view of the landscape and stayed there for a while, the sun shimmering above claiming his place in the sky like a true king, stealing a grin from her.

"You're going to fall." Mikasa said, watching Eren hanging out upside town from a branch.

"I will not," Eren replied the exact same words again. "I'm not a chil- _Ah!"_

Said and done, he fell down from the tree, his body rattling the ground. _Armin_ approached him, worried, but Mikasa let out a giggle. Slowly, the strange company of that boy near her turned completely natural, so natural as breathing, as if he has been part of her life since ever. They ate a few more apples back to the cabin and she talked about Jean, her best friend. Absently, she wondered what he was doing right now; perhaps he believed she was already dead, inside the mouth of the titan. Surely his mother was feeling comfortable about it, knowing his little Jean-boo wouldn't have to hang around with the Ripper's niece again.

"We should play a game." She suggested, recollecting some pebbles, saving them in her pockets.

"Play?" He sounded like if the situation was absurd.

She nodded.

"Let's play tag," Mikasa stopped in front of the boy. "Ready, set… go!"

She touched Eren's arm swiftly and then started running all over the place, waiting for him to try to catch her. But he stayed there; numb, asking himself what the hell was that all about. The only one who seemed to catch up with the game was _Armin_ , following her everywhere.

She went to him, breathless.

"Come on, try to catch me!" But Eren didn't move. "You don't know how to play? You run, I try to catch you, got it?"

Not very sure about it, Eren turned away with the intention to start running. That game was absurd. What was the point of trying to catch somebody that way? But as Mikasa started running after him and a melting adrenaline started caressing his tummy, giggles were all over the forest in less than two seconds. At the speed of light Mikasa started chasing Eren through the woods and he was way faster than she thought, dodging thick branches, screeching. It had been a long time since Mikasa played tag with anyone, Jean hated that game because he always fell down and his mother didn't want his baby to get hurt that way.

Mikasa ran away, hiding from Eren's sight and for an instant she thought she lost him, swearing he had he run over a big oak-tree near her but everything was quiet now. Mikasa jumped over a big fallen trunk and suddenly collided against something rigid and rugged. The little girl laughed thinking maybe was Eren, already seeing herself as the winner of that silly game but the one in front of her wasn't Erin at all. It was a man, much higher, stubbly cheek decorating his face and carrying a green coat. Mikasa's smile disappeared immediately, numb in her place.

A hunter? No… he didn't look like one.

"Hey! Alger! Look what I've found!" The man shout showing her a bright smile. "How much do you think they will give us for her?"

Another guy appeared from behind, much younger than the first but watching her with the same pervert gaze.

"I don't know. How about getting some fun with her first?" He suggested.

As soon as Mikasa heard those horrible words coming out of his mouth, she knew she had to run immediately. She got up from the ground and started running from the same place in where she came from, her heart beating so fast she thought it would get out of her chest. The guys started laughing behind her, the sheets of the woods falling over her like rain, they were chasing her and her legs started to tremble just by knowing the nasty things they would do her if they managed to catch her.

No, she couldn't let them catch her so easily.

"Eren!" Mikasa screamed.

Did he just abandoned her?

"Come here, baby! We won't hurt you!"

Mikasa stumbled upon some branches a couple of times but nothing was eager enough to make her stop. She didn't even knew where she was going, running aimlessly because all the secret roads of the forest were unknown to her, step by step her mind seemed a little bit frail.

"Hey! Over here, you morons!"

The voice of Eren made her gasp. She turned around, knowing it would be too dangerous. Eren was still onto some rocks, throwing stones at their attackers. One of them ran after him and Eren immediately left the pillar upon he was idle to start running somewhere else trying to distract him. But the younger guy was faster; he grabbed Mikasa from the back, all of sudden, and she fell down against the ground, a strong pair of hands against her back holding her hair firmly.

"Stay still." He threatened.

He flipped her over covering her mouth with a hand, rammed. At the other side, the older guy was carrying Eren within his arms; he didn't stop kicking around, furious. "Get your hands off me, you prick! I'll kill you!"

The man hit him in the face, causing him to fall down.

"What are we gonna do with the brat?" The younger one asked.

Feeling a gust of anger, Mikasa bit _real_ hard one of the many fingers who kept her mouth covered, feeling the blood impregnate her tongue. The man released his grip, shaky, and took her by the chin. The old one took Eren by his hair and grabbed his shoulders, the blade of a knife resting on Eren's neck.

"You asked for it, bitch," the man threatened. "At the count of three, I'll rip your friend's neck."

One.

Two.

Bewildered, wide-eyed and gazing at her, he muttered a breathless _I'm sorry._

Startling, Mikasa watched Eren carrying his hand into his mouth and before she could ever react a tremendous burst made her scream, deafening her all at once. A hot blast reverberated around her, pushing her and their attackers back to the ground. Mikasa hit a trunk and when she saw a lightning impact on where Eren was standin—or the lightning was emerging from the ground? she wasn't quite sur—but when her ears noticed that sound again, she opened her eyes, shuddered and scared, breathless of what was in front of her eyes.

A rugged life-sized titan of almost fifteen inches roared heavily in front of her, a white smoke blooming frenzy within his skin. His roar made birds fly, afraid as the attackers, too surprised to even digest what was in front of them.

Neither Mikasa.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all for your kind reviews! It means a lot. As you can see, Armin got the role of a little fox. This idea came out because I didn't want for Eren to live completely on his own in the forest, thats how Armin the fox came to my mind. Foxes are known for being very smart and crafty, I think it fits Armin's personality very well.

So, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Till next time!

 _ **—Mel.**_


	3. I will always return

**«I Will Always Return»**

Characters belong to Hajime Isayama.

 **Summary:  
** AU. Eren is a titan shifter that lives in the Forest. The people of Shiganshina fear him, so they decide to give him a sacrifice and in return, he must leave the village alone. Mikasa is a girl who is chosen to be the sacrifice. When she is left in the forest, instead of finding a terrifying titan, she finds a lonely boy. Eremika.

* * *

 **AN/:** Credits to MsStampede for original summary.

* * *

 **—o—**

"Tell me what you see, Levi."

The twenty-seven years old man stared at his comrade, his _friend_ , Erwin Smith. He was standing by his side with hands lying on the small of his back, so poised as the breeze slithering the skies that morning, a breeze he could barely felt, provoking a sensation of drowning that was giving him a very bad feeling. Levi wasn't quite sure of why Erwin wanted him downtown that morning, on top of the tower where the city looked more beaming than ever, shiny like liquid gold. Far away, the Forest of Giant Trees appeared haunting as always, abyssal and full of darkness, lands that separate them from the wilderness, were titans ruled as kings. He still could remember his father's words about it—and everyone's parents inside Shiganshina—when he was just a lad, muttering a severe _never cross the other side, never go to the Forest of Giant Tress, you hear me? There's nothing but death inside that place._

All the children's of Shiganshina had prohibited to cross the forest by themselves. Especially now when those lands were propriety of a titan. He snorted. Ironic, huh? To prohibit children's to cross the forest and completely ignore that stupid rule to send a child to be eaten against her will. But that was how things worked in Shiganshina. That was how things worked for Erwin Smith.

"Shiganshina?" He asked, not quite sure.

Levi never had been much of a fan when it came to riddles.

Erwin nodded, his eyes lost on the view.

"Yes," He whispered. "Shiganshina, a town that for generations was us to protect. A city made by honest and humble people. Children's, mothers, father's… human beings that, just like you and me, want to survive. That's what we have been doing the past hundred years… survive. You think it's fair, Levi? We are the most upper race above all the others… and here we are. Living with fear to an unknown future."

Levi sighed, getting tired of such a pointless talk.

"Erwin, if you wanna say something… just spill it out."

His friend looked away for the first time since they came up to the tower. For an instant his foggy, cold eyes became smoother when he stared at Levi.

"I'm telling you this because I consider you my friend, and I don't want us to be upset with each other," his glance returned to the city. "I know you weren't agree with what I did, and that hurts me. But things are the way they are and that's how it must be. To get over the enemy we must change our thinking. Titans lurk us, they're waiting for us. We must show them we're not the weak ones in here, that we must fight back and sacrifice certain things for the will of humanity. I want to win. My body and mind are tired to just survive. I don't want to survive anymore, my friend, I want to win. And I want you to be by my side when that happens, like always."

If Erwin thought his words were going to touch Levi's heart he was really mistaken. Years had passed since Levi felt touched by one of his many motivational speeches about humanity, common benefit and shit Levi didn't agree at all. He appreciated Erwin friendship but little by little he lost all the respect he once had. Erwin was an extremely intelligent and manipulative man, there wasn't even once person in all Shiganshina minded to go against his ideologies. And Levi knew that story very well. Erwin never really cared about mankind and freedom. All he ever wanted was just glory. Glory and thousands of heads bowing before him, praising him like the God he believed he was.

"That girl was innocent." Levi said, grumpy.

Erwin gave a big and heavy sigh.

"We all are innocent in here. Nobody caused the god's anger upon us, punishing us with those beasts. Nobody asked for a titan to live on the Forest of Giant Trees, killing all of our hunters. We are innocents too."

Levi looked askance at him. "It's easy for you to say that when you let drop your ass on the couch drinking whiskey while that brat is being ripped apart."

"Levi…"

"Have you ever even thought about a back-up plan? What would happen if that titan doesn't go away? Will you send another kid to the forest until there's no one left in town? I'm sorry, Erwin, but this is the most stupid plan you've ever had. I thought you were better than this. But you just showed to be another Zacklay's puppet."

Levi knew his words had shocked Erwin, he didn't even responded back, keeping his gaze upon that skilled soldier, firmly pinching his jaw, so hard Levi thought it would burst. But his eyes had everything except guilt or the intention to say sorry. Levi's speech had shocked him, yeah, but in a negative way. Erwin was absolutely convinced his actions were accurate, never willing to cheer up if other person said the opposite, calling him a fucking puppet when he always saw himself as the smartest, the strongest.

But with Levi he would never get those, beaming smiles and milder words. And Erwin knew that.

Before anyone could say something else to resume the conversation—or just finish their sentences—a deafening explosion was heard in the distance. Both waved, earth shaking and trembling and during an instant Levi had to hold himself against the wall to not fall head down. Erwin stared up, despairing, scrutinizing the area around him, attentive to the extravagant clap of thunder coming from the Forest of Giant Trees. Thousand birds flying in the opposite direction, running away from the roar that reverberated all over the place, making echoes in the city.

Erwin and Levi looked at each other, both understanding everything before even saying a word, both knowing the cause of it all: the titan.

The military defense didn't exactly knew the source of such an odd thunder coming from the forest. But it happened every time the titan decided to appear. It was odd, especially for Hanji, because the titans with whom they had fight before, they never done such thing. They were just there, walking like ghosts. But this titan was a whole different thing; maybe he had some kind of power or something. Both abandoned the tower immediately. When they meet up downtown, the crowd came to Erwin with fear, asking for an explanation. Erwin ignored them all, wearing his leader mask and giving others here and there. Hanji appeared with the biggest grin, excited, coming to Levi who was putting on his Maneuver Gear, he knew Erwin would send them to the forest immediately.

"Levi!" She screamed. Clinging to his arm like a little kid. "Let me go with you! You said I could next time!"

He nodded, not wanting to catch Erwin's attention. He wasn't aware of what Levi wanted to do inside that forest, and in that particular moment he needed Erwin's help. This was his only chance to see if the girl was still alive.

"Man your battle stations!" Erwin commanded. "Mike, Hanji, you go with Levi! Nile, prepare reinforcements! Levi, if the situation becomes uncontrollable, shoot the flares. We will send support right away."

Levi nodded, making a sign with his hands to his comrades to follow him inside the forest. The whoop of the town was everywhere, encouraging them to kill the titan without hesitating.

 _"Kill that beast once and for all!"_

 _"Mankind is in your hands!"_

 _"We trust in you guys!"_

Pathetic.

 **—o—**

Mikasa gasped, trying to think.

 _You must run. Run, run, run._

But her feet didn't seem to respond her pleading. When the fume around her seemed to evaporate completely, clearing her vision, Mikasa could perfectly distinguish that gigantic titan right in front of her eyes. Sky-high, life-sized, roaring like a monster ready to kill his attackers mercilessly. Mikasa lifted up her hands to cover her ears and reacted, abandoning the ground to hide behind the closest tree.

The logical thing would be just run. Run away and never come back, but curiosity was something she couldn't resist. And surely that would be the death of her.

The titan punched with one of his rugged hands—almost the size of a big rock—at the first guy in front of him, smacking him strongly onto a tree. Mikasa was absolutely sure the man died immediately after that. The next one screamed, cowed, trying to escape, but the titan stepped him like a little ant, making his bones crunch while a blood river ended up by dyeing the grass. It was the first time Mikasa saw death right in front of her eyes like that, cruel and ruthless. But for an odd reason that was the last of her concerns, her mind traveled in somewhere else, something more important than the death of those men.

Eren had bitten his hand. With her own eyes she saw his hand traveling to his lips to sink his teeth on his flesh. After that, the titan appeared.

It could be that he just...? No. No… it wasn't real. It couldn't be, could it?

The titan stopped for a second, slowly turning around to face her and Mikasa hid herself a bit more behind the tree. It wasn't her intention to be unnoticed, by that time the titan knew she was already there, but she still was feeling more secure being protected by the tree. The beast seemed interested in approaching to her. His hair was the longest, dark as coffee, and his eyes so green as Eren's. Deep inside she knew. _She knew._

The girl covered her mouth to watch the titan slowly lose his conscience. He fell down onto the ground and once again his skin started to emanate a hot steam. From his neck something started emerging. Mikasa walked towards him, flustered, a silhouette shedding out from the titan's skin. It was Eren. He looked conscious enough to start moaning in pain, long and tough pieces of meat fastened onto his skin, all over his face and arms. With a yell Eren got rid of them, skin bleeding, red as a cherry, like if he had spend hours under the sun. When he managed to get rid of the titan's body, his knees fell into the ground, his hands supporting his weight. _Armin_ appeared from inside some shrubbery, running to meet his human friend—or titan?—and started liking all his wounds, taking the blood away with his little tongue.

The titan's body was left behind and slowly started to disintegrate, becoming nothing but a big dry bone structure. Mikasa moved forward, insecure, while Eren was standing in the same position, like if he was trying to catch is breath properly. But there was something Mikasa was completely sure about: she wasn't scared at all. She didn't wanted to run away, find a safe place like a regular person would do in a situation like this.

Mikasa wanted to stay and ask. She had so many questions.

"Eren…" She muttered, not sure of what to say.

The boy seemed to react. He cleaned up the mess upon his face, leaving some blood on his cheeks. He sat-up, numb, looking tired. Slightly his hands started to scrutinizing the earth under his feet, attentive to something Mikasa didn't quiet understood. She discovered it minutes later, when his hands looped around something gold and shiny: the key. He hung it around his neck, securing it. Then, he stared at her for the first time since he abandoned the titan's body.

Before he could say something, even if he didn't know what the hell he could say, they heard some voices coming from the distance.

 _"I see fume from here! Come on!"_

Eren's bewildered features changed into a frantic expression. Wide-eyed, Eren grabbed Mikasa's arm and along with _Armin_ they slink behind some shrubbery, bending and covered by the leaves. Eren covered Mikasa's mouth, an indirect to keeping her in silence. Through the leaves she saw some people arrive to the exact same place where the titan's body was fading away. Her heart started beating real fast; they were the soldiers from the village. Captain Levi was with them.

"Here, check this out." It was Mike.

Hanji touched the bones and they broke in half, becoming dust. Unconsciously, stirring her feet she broke a branch, provoking a sound that didn't went unnoticed for Levi. He turned round, furrowing his brows, but Eren took Mikasa by her shoulders, forcing her to bend more against the ground, trying to not be discovered.

"Levi?" Hanji asked. "What's wrong?"

Not very convinced, Levi shook his head, looking away.

"Nothing," he muttered. "Come on, let's go over there. We need to keep its track."

The group of soldiers left the forest, their silhouettes fading through the bending trees, so Eren took the chance to grab Mikasa from her hand and took her out of there. They were going in a different direction from the cabin, Mikasa wondered what would've happened if the soldiers found out the truth. But not even Mikasa was quite sure about what the real truth was. _Armin_ followed them, frantic, he seemed to know the place were Eren wanted to take her. The boy was looking weary, breathing heavily, his body aching. Through the entire trip none of them said anything at all.

They arrived in front of a small cave full of branches, Eren pushed them away and entered slowly, Mikasa following him right back knowing probably this was the best place to hide until the soldiers were gone. _Armin_ shoved Mikasa's legs, running to Eren and lying onto his lap, licking his hand and trying to provide him some comfort, caressing his wounds. He was the only one who seemed to understand what was going on.

"It just happened," he said after a moment of silence. Mikasa didn't thought he would say anything unless she ask for it. She was surprised to be him the one speaking first. "One day, when I was little, after my father left me. I don't know how it was, I can't remember, it just… happened. For some reason I bit my hand and… I became this."

Mikasa remained silence. How could that be possible? It was something everybody could do? Mikasa stared at her own hand… what would happen if she bit herself too? She would also transform into a titan? For an instant she remembered the village, Erwin's protests about the multiple murders the titan made against his soldiers. She let out a sigh.

"They fear you," she said, faint. "The hunters. They used to found them death. And the bodies… sometimes they weren't even there…"

Eren's eyes went shut, hands trembling.

"I don't do it on purpose… I…" He whispered, somber. "When I'm on my titan's form sometimes I can't control myself. It's like somebody else is taking control over me and make me do things I don't want to. They always come in the worst moment… and it just happens."

Mikasa frowned.

"Can you just not… transform into this?"

Eren shook his head.

"Even If I want to… I must keep transforming. It's the only way to keep them away from here."

Mikasa flickered, gazing at him feverishly.

"K-Keep them away? What do you mean?"

Eren stared at her, somber, mystery hidden behind his green eyes. He got up and handed his right hand to her, waiting for her to hold it back.

"I'll show you."

During an instant, Mikasa blanched, eyes glued to his wounded hands, shaking. What if it was a tramp? What if he would end up eating her just like the hunters around? Eren didn't show any doubt on taking their lives away, but those weren't hunters… they were thugs, and they deserved it. Eren didn't just got rid of them, he saved her, and he defended her. If Eren was an infamous beast, why did he saved her in the first place?

Mikasa didn't know what she was doing, but she took his hand firmly and she saw relief in Eren's eyes. She trusted him, and that was everything he needed.

They left the cave leaving _Armin_ behind, sun starting to hide behind the mountains, dying the sky with orange tones. Mikasa always loved sunset. Throughout the trip, who was the longest, Eren didn't let go Mikasa's hand not even for a second. He ventured through the forest with his hands rammed against hers, clinging to his fingers like it would save him. Mikasa noted he was limping, she asked herself if he needed some rest. She told him, but he said he was just fine, telling her that it was always like this after every transformation, feeling ill and weak, and she believed him. Watching him emerging from his own titan all full of blood, his wounded flesh… it must had been very painful, and Mikasa knew what pain felt like right from the start, because uncle Kenny had always managed to be there to remind her, for a long time.

Mikasa stopped breathing when the sun went down bringing a night without moon and Eren stopped right in front of the end of the forest. Nobody had ever gone so far before; nobody had the courage to adventure themselves so deep in the wilderness, not even in the tavern songs. Nobody knew what was hidden behind the forest, far away from Shiganshina, far away from everything they knew in their lives.

Mikasa stared at Eren, flustered.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

With all the honesty in the world, she nodded, not even thinking about it. Eren took her hand and lead her to the closest tree, and told her they had to climb up. Mikasa didn't had a problem with it, but Eren was looking ill and frail, she didn't want him to hurt himself but Eren said it didn't matter, that he was just fine. Deep inside, Mikasa admired his determination. Struggling because of the darkness—and a sky without stars to illuminate their way—they got to the treetop, too high for Mikasa's taste but with branches rugged enough to support their weight. Eren and Mikasa set down in one of the branches and Eren ushered his gaze—along with his middle finger— to an exact spot in front of them, not so far from where they were standing.

Far away the field continued, and continued, so infinite as she imagined before. And it was full of titans.

For an ephemeral instant Mikasa forgot how to breathe properly. Titans? In the wilderness? But… how? She grow up thinking the titans were dead centuries ago, that the titan who emerged in the Forest of Giant Trees was the only one to show up after years of nothing, of peace, the only threat for mankind, for Shiganshina. Just by seeing the variety of sizes took her by surprise. Some of them were big and fat, uneven noses and long hair. Others were small and looked like bears, walking on all fours, running all over the place in such a horrible way that made Mikasa gasp, appalled. They were horrifying, absurd copies of human beings, like evil experiments, all misshapen.

One of them, the taller one, opened his mouth and screamed. It wasn't a lions roar or a tiny one, like cats. His roar was similar to a bear, stilled, coy, echoes everywhere.

"E-Eren…"

The boy sighed.

"Even if I don't want to," he started. "I have to transform all the time. There's something inside me… I don't know what it is, but it keeps them away from the forest and Shiganshina. They want to come in but in my titan form, when I face them… they just go away. In sort of an odd way I can control them. The effect doesn't last long, that's why I have to transform constantly. It's the only way to retain them."

She gazed at him, engulfed by a haunting worry. He was the reason of why the titans never attacked the city? Eren was the reason behind that old tale about titans being defeated centuries ago?

"B-But… they w-were extint—"

"No, Mikasa." Eren interrupted, fretful. "That was what those pigs made you all believe. That's the big lie I used to believe until my father brought me here and show me this. _This._ Reality, the truth that for such a long time Erwin Smith made you all swallow like trash. Do you think the men who work with him are real hunters? Do you think they only cross the forest to get some food? No. They go to stupid expeditions searching for something else, hoping to find human civilization somewhere. They kill the titans with their swords but they keep coming, and coming, and never go away."

The amount of sudden information was too much for Mikasa.

"Are they… humans like you?" She asked, pointing out the crowd of titans in front of them.

Eren shook his head.

"No. They are… well, I'm not quite sure of what they are exactly, but they aren't like me. I can transform into a titan whenever I want to and go back to my original form as well. But they can't. They're always like this."

"You… you've been protecting Shiganshina all those years… you…"

A blast of fury passed through his eyes.

"I should command this rats," he said, pointing to the titans with his jaw, "to kill all the pigs inside the town for what they've done to you. Trash like them don't deserve anyone's protection."

 _Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

Mikasa's frail heart fluttered within her chest because of Eren's words. The girl looked away, coy, and watched the titans a bit longer, too impressed. How could have humanity been living under that ignorance for such a long time? Why Erwin Smith kept the titans as a secret, lying to all the people inside the town? People needed to know the truth. She felt relief to know Eren had trusted her enough to show her the truth about it.

Mikasa touched his hand slightly. Eren, surprised, stared at her, foreign features. He wasn't expecting her to do that.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all this by yourself." She whispered.

Eren flickered, gazing at her pale face. Maybe it was the first time someone had told him something like that. Mikasa thought about Eren's father, he abandoned him and his mom was dead. He lived alone in the forest, getting his food by himself without anyone's help, having a small fox as a friend, an animal who could not hold him in chilly nights or be with him to comfort his tears with soft words. Mikasa felt really sorry for him.

He didn't deserve such loneliness. Not after everything he did for the people.

"You should go back to Shiganshina, Mikasa," Eren said, serious. "It's not good for you to be here, it's dangerous. If I transform myself into a titan again… I can lose control. I can—"

 _I can hurt you,_ she thought, finishing his sentences in her mind.

Mikasa wanted to protest. She didn't want to come back, ever. Especially if her uncle was the one she had to live with. But the girl was different now, stronger, braver thanks to the kid with green eyes, gazing at her with nobly features. And just like Eren suffered day by day in the loneliness of the woods, Mikasa knew she wouldn't let both to keep suffering like that again. She didn't felt alone anymore, neither Eren. She would make sure of it.

She nodded. Mikasa didn't know what the hell could happen if she returned to Shiganshina. They would welcome her with open arms? They would send her back to the forest? She didn't knew the answer, but she was sure she would never reveled the titan's identity. She could just say the titan left the forest, refusing to accept her as the sacrifice. Mikasa was a great liar, living with her uncle was the proof of it. She wasn't scared of excuses.

She was worried about Eren.

"But I'll came back every night to visit you," she said, assuring her promise. "Not a day, not a day less."

Eren had the impulse to smile.

"I knew you would say something like that," he let out a heavy sigh. "We'd better go now."

Putting an end to the conversation and dedicating a last glance to the titans, both Eren and Mikasa climbed down the tree and the girl felt sheltered once her feet touched the soil. She never liked high places. Mikasa blurted out a sigh of surprise to see _Armin_ sitting next the tree, quiet. Maybe he got tired of waiting inside the cave and came to meet them both, nipping his chilly nose against Eren's legs. Mikasa grabbed him within her arms and the fox let out a moan, happy and comfortable against her chest. Slowly Eren and Mikasa started to follow the same road back to Shiganshina. The sky trembled showing a dozen of thunders beaming behind dark clouds, threatening an upcoming storm. The air felt chilly and damp.

When they came to the point were both knew they had to go on separate ways, Mikasa putted _Armin_ on the ground gain, nipping at his ears, it was her way of saying goodbye. She turned around to face Eren, but he bent down and grabbed some clay and leaves and smashed them all over her hair and face. She giggled, tickling her.

"If you look all nice and pretty nobody will believe you got lost in a forest." He said, ruffling her head.

Mikasa forgot how to breathe when he murmured, in a dull and absently manner, the word pretty.

Pretty.

 _He thinks I'm pretty._

"Hey, you hear me? Are you there?" Eren called out, waving his hand in front of her eyes.

She flickered, draped inside a childish fantasy.

"Y-Yes…"

"Well, just follow that road over there. Since here I can see the torches of the town. If anyone finds you… well, you'll know what to say."

Mikasa nodded, not quite sure. A slightly and ephemeral mist slipped through her lips when she sighed, flustered, at the idea of returning, and Eren seemed to notice it. Slowly he took off his red-scarf and looped around Mikasa's neck.

"Here, take this."

The fabric was the smoother thing she had ever felt on her skin. Its smell was beautiful. She could felt a fragrance of autumn, the smell of the jasmines surrounding Eren's cabin and the perfume of wood. The essence of green apples… and Eren. Especially Eren.

"Okay," Mikasa muttered, entering her fingers through the soft fabric of the scarf. "Well… uhm… bye."

Without knowing what to say or do, Mikasa turned around to follow the road back to Shiganshina. Eren was right, the lights of the torches were shining from the distance, but Eren's caressing voice took her by surprise, forcing her to face him again, curious.

"You… uhm… you will return tomorrow, right?"

Mikasa could felt some flare of nervousness within his voice. Eren had been inside that forest completely alone for such a long time, that meeting a little girl—someone like her who never judged his actions or showed any kind of fear towards him… it was nice and frail at the same time. So frail that the girl could go away and never come back, and the boy would be alone once more.

She smiled, hidden by the fabric of her new scarf.

"I will always return."

Waving her hand to say goodbye, Mikasa turned around to finally leave the forest. The silhouette of a boy with a flaxen fox was the last thing she left behind before disappearing into the darkness.

 **—o—**

"I think we should go back, Levi. We've been searching for him and it doesn't show up, that fucker knows how to hide its face very well."

Levi grumped under the misty night. He put off his sword, numb, knowing it had been a terrible waste of time carrying out so much equipment with them just for nothing. Night had fallen hours ago and the titan didn't seem interested in showing his face, just a bunch of dry bones disintegrating themselves completely, becoming nothing but dust. Hanji was the disappointed one, the shiny spark in her eyes disappearing completely, showing her frustration at facing another failing expedition.

"Erwin will be pissed if he knows we haven't found anything," Mike said, walking through the road back to Shiganshina.

"Fuck Erwin." Levi objected.

His comrade, the one who ate Erwin's shit everyday gave him a chilly glance, "What did you just sa—"

A whooshing sound made them jump out of their places. They turned around with their swords ready when Hanji screamed, raising her hand to the sky.

"Look!" She pointed out. "Is the girl!"

Levi reacted first. He putted his swords down and ran towards her. Mikasa was laying on the ground, unconscious and extremely filthy, full of clay and fry leaves all over her hair. Without even thinking—and after proving she was still alive, breathing—he carried her onto his arms and got back to the road, back to the town.

"What the hell are you doing, Levi?!" Mike yelled out, furious. "Leave her there! The titan could appear anyt—"

"Just do me a favor, Mike," Levi spoke without stopping his march. Hanji was the only one following him. "Shut the fuck up."

Erwin was probably going to be crazy about it. Kenny? Even more. Levi smiled, bitter.

 _Great._

* * *

 **A/N:** Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for the delay! I promise, I'll be updating the next chapter soon. Well, as you can see, that thing Eren can do to the titans it's clearly the Coordinate, lmao. That would bring many troubles to the characters.

I wanna thank you ALL because the story got 40 favorites and 56 followers in only 2 chapters! WOAH! Thank you so much! It means a lot, really. If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review, they're always welcome and encouraging!

See you guys next time!

 _ **—Mel.**_


	4. Bittersweet Welcome

**«I Will Always Return»**

Characters belong to Hajime Isayama, that evil twat.

 **Summary:**  
Eren is a titan shifter that lives in the Forest. The people of Shiganshina fear him, so they decide to give him a sacrifice and in return, he must leave the village alone. Mikasa is a girl who is chosen to be the sacrifice. When she is left in the forest, instead of finding a terrifying titan, she finds a lonely boy. Eremika.

* * *

 **AN/:** Credits to MsStampede for original summary.

* * *

 **—o—**

Levi could feel the rabid and vertiginous heartbeat fluttering like the wings of a hummingbird against his own chest, her hair waving around at the rhythm of their footsteps with an indescribable grace. Mike's footsteps reverberated against the soil as well, his mouth intervening with a bunch of unrefined profanities with the intention of getting Levi back to the forest and leave the girl all alone in the middle of the night. Of course, Levi never showed any sign of stopping, unwilling to hear his pathetic pleas.

He was never a good soldier when it came to following other people's orders. From way back, he left fear behind.

Hanji followed suit, her soft hands inspecting Mikasa's little body for bruises or anything that could tell her the girl was in a severe state, any reason justifying the way they found her back in the forest: lying on the grass, completely on her own. The torches of Shiganshina embraced Levi's face as they entered downtown like some tragic heroes who returned from the shadows after searching for a terrible bear, completely conscious of knowing they certainly were an easy bait, but fearless. The crowd that waited for the soldiers screamed with joy at the sight of the strongest soldier—for then, hunter—of humanity, carrying within his arms the bait that is supposed to bring victory to the village. Their voices got lost in the cold night, the wind howling like a sad wolf and suddenly, for an instant that felt more like an eternity, they were speechless. He could not hear any laugh, any shriek; Levi could not see any smile because almost all of the four hundred eyes there present were glued on the thirteen-year-old girl unconscious in his scarred arms.

But even so, Levi didn't stop the hike. Hanji followed him like the right hand she always was; her glasses fogged by the mist, examining the girl's body with the intent to find any bruise on her head, their footsteps being the only thing heard inside the desolate town. Like Levi predicted, Erwin made his appearance like a phantom of the dark, probably thinking the whining of the crowd was due some injured soldiers or something like that; it had happened before, the people of Shiganshina fearing the fall of another soldier because that would lead them to ruin, and it was his responsibility to keep people safe, to keep their minds secure with the certainty of freedom, but it wasn't that what his eyes found.

Erwin Smith's bewildered gaze traveled to the package Levi was carrying in his arms, firmly and secure, looking more shocked even that all the people behind him, people that he swore to protect with the last drop of his blood. And now…

"L-Levi, what…"

"Step aside, Erwin," Levi said. No, he _ordered_ , reversing the roles in a millisecond. "Hanji, bring Petra. Tell her to prepare a room in the quarters."

Hanji didn't even turn around to seek for Erwin's approbation; she did what Levi just told her, attending to his command with the loyalty of a true friend, ignoring his superior with the contempt only Levi could awake in her, and with a thunderstruck Mike behind her back. Zacklay followed him, furious. "You fucking kid. What the hell have you don—"

But Levi didn't let him finish his sentence, with a steely gaze he walked away from those pigs leaving Zacklay behind with the rage caught up in his throat, because only Levi would be reckless enough to do something like that, to defy his superiors with the arrogance of a child ready to follow his own rules, his own cause. A completely lost cause this time. Petra appeared in the distance shaking her hands in the air, a sign that everything was ready to go. But there was still something even better to come, something more valuable than Erwin's stunned look or the childish rage coming out from Zacklay.

Levi couldn't leave the girl inside the room without giving the final dessert a last, bittersweet taste.

The cherry bomb on top of the cake.

Sidewise and not far from him, Kenny the Ripper made his way between the crowd shedding his ridiculous hat like the loser he was, tiny beads of sweat washing his face whilst the pale tone of his skin put on evidence how startled he was at the surprise that nobly appeared in front of him like an ancient curse. He wasn't expecting that, he wasn't expecting that at all. Erwin and Zacklay came on his way, maybe fearing that his reaction could be a bit hasty, but Kenny did nothing. Absorbed by a nameless nightmare, everything Kenny did was nothing, his feet glued to the ground and his drunken eyes gazing at his niece being carried like a princess in his enemy's arms, and Levi enjoyed his bewilderment more than anything in the world.

"Mikasa?" A kid's voice came out of nowhere, behind his back. "M-Mikasa! Mom, it's Mikasa!"

It was Jean, the baker's son.

"No! I wanna go! Let go of me! Mikasa!"

Dropping out the throng behind, not even disposed to give them some answers; Levi went back to the main quarter along with Hanji and Petra, the sound of their footsteps reverberating through the chilly aisles with urgency, making echoes through the marble walls, the view of the people behind the windows standing somberly within the dark, the torches making them shimmer like tiny little blazes falling from the sky, just like fallen stars. His father was a great believer and he told him that fallen angels came to the earth to profane the mortal word, falling down from the sky like fallen stars ready to collapse against the grass, bringing chaos within their wings and death inside their eyes. The sight of the multitude standing still, their eyes drilling like terrible judges… Levi thought that this would be what fallen angels would look like if they were real, calculating meticulously every single one of his sins.

Despite himself, or the fallen angels staring straight at him from the other side, Levi was carrying a true angel in his arms.

When Petra showed him the room she'd prepared for her, Hanji opened the bed blankets and adjusted the pillows so Levi could place Mikasa carefully onto the mattress, her pale skin feeling cold against his own. He covered her with blankets feeling completely awkward at such simple act, who would say? The arrogant and selfish Levi Ackerman taking care of a random child out of nowhere, saving her from an imminent death and dirtying his clean hands with all the mud that covered her body that night. Levi was completely alone in the world, his soul subsisting since ancient times: trusting nobody, wandering as a lonely wolf. He never had to share his food with anyone, his thoughts, his soul… his heart. Reluctant when it came to making new friends and sleeping with a knife between his fingers, ready to attack the shadows that threatened him through the nights.

And now there he was, acting all fatherly with the niece of his most hated enemy in the world.

What the hell was he doing with his life? He looked at his comrades with tiredness and sat on a chair in front of the kid, Petra landing her hand upon his shoulder.

"Now what?" She asked.

That was a very accurate question. Now, what? What would happen next? Maybe it was just a matter of time before Erwin put out all his shit on him and abandoned him in the forest, offered him as the new titan's bait waiting to be devoured like the pig he truly was. But just now those questions meant nothing to Levi, they hadn't any significant impact on him. _The future will come eventually, and we can't ignore or regret the decisions we make_ , his father used to say all the time, so Levi clutched to those words, haggard eyes staring at the little girl sleeping in front of him with the peace of an angel, her chest dancing gracefully with her small breaths.

"Just look what you make me do," Levi whispered, even if she couldn't hear a single word. "Fuck…"

But Levi was clueless, for Mikasa had heard every single one of his words.

 **—o—**

Just look what you make me do.

That was the last thing Mikasa heard before falling asleep. That wasn't her main goal at all. From the start, she let herself fall on the grass in the forest with the intention to be found like this by the soldiers, almost dead, almost absent, so they wouldn't have any other choice but bring her back to Shiganshina. During the trip against his savior's arms, Captain Levi, Mikasa kept her eyes closed as much as she could, the coming and going of her hero singing a soft lullaby provoking on her a sleepiness worthy of a little girl.

She was still half awake when she felt his arms place her body on a comfortable mattress. Then Mikasa lost herself completely, her senses guiding the way to a weariness that enveloped her body like death itself, putting in its hands an uncertain future, Erwin Smith's opinion about her return and the icy stare her uncle Kenny will expose at the fact of seeing her once again. She fell into darkness, her sleepy mind whispering a soft _I'm sorry_ to Captain Levi.

 _I'm sorry that you get into trouble because of me._

But something in her head told her it was time to wake up. _Come on, open your eyes, you must wake up…_ and Mikasa fought against the momentum, but it was impossible. _Wake up, wake up…_

Her body felt just right despite the forest aroma coming out from her hair and the entire mug fastened on her skin. She didn't remember getting hurt or something, her head wasn't injured and there was not a single reason for her to keep her eyelids closed and sink into sleepiness a bit more. However, she knew she had to get back to reality, abandon the protection of her bed assuring her life, her entire self, and her slumber once and for all. She didn't forget the promise she made to Eren, she promised him to come back every single day and she couldn't do it if she still was sleeping like a puppy.

Gently, she started unsticking her eyelids. How long did she sleep? Blurting out a sight and moistening her dry lips with the tip of her tongue, she found herself inside a tiny room made of bricks. She frowned; remembering she was still inside the quarters or, at least, that was the place Levi wanted to take her last night. Mikasa fought the urge to jump out of her bed when a curious glance behind some dirty lenses smiled at her heartily. It was Hanji Zoe, one of the… hunters? She wasn't aware of the exact role Hanji employed inside the hunters squad, but the woman was looking at her with pure satisfaction, she seemed happy to know Mikasa wasn't dead.

"Oh, you finally woke up!" Hanji yelled, euphoric. "That's good."

Mikasa just blinked, confused, sitting carefully on the mattress. She was surprised to see Captain Levi lying against the door, watching her with crossed arms and confused eyes. Why did he save her? He was Erwin's right hand, why he had dared to go against his own superior's orders for someone like her? He had risked too much.

And he was probably the first person inside her pitiful life that risked his own just for her; for her, Mikasa Ackerman, the invisible girl, the girl no one would ever notice even with the bruises on her skin that tell a story his uncle Kenny loved to recount over, and over, and over again. Bruises recounting a tale of strength, the stronghold of a little girl who wanted to be more than just invisible, bruises that a foreign boy named Eren took the trouble to hide with a red scarf, saving her from some bandits because he thought she was worth it, that girl with bruises and a shy smile and a lonely soul worth all the effort he could muster.

Maybe Levi saw in her the same as Eren. Maybe they both did.

"Are you okay?" Hanji asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Mikasa nodded without saying a word, and Captain Levi let out a deep sigh.

"I'll get Erwin."

That said, he opened the door and the sound of his steps vanished into the hall. Mikasa looked around, still in the same clothing, the scarf Eren gave her firmly rooted around her neck. Her hair felt thick and rough, and her smell wasn't the most pleasant. Mikasa could feel Hanji's eyes upon her features, alarming her senses. That woman was extremely strange and almost all the children inside Shiganshina feared her. One of Jean's many friends, Connie—that kid Mikasa hated deeply—used to say that during hazy nights, Hanji left her chilly den along with her eyeglasses to visit the children's homes wrapped in a bloody cocoon with the intention of cutting them into tiny pieces, cooking them and then eating them. While Jean said the order was completely different—cooking them, cutting their bodies and then starting to eat them—that story always sounded terribly absurd in Mikasa's personal opinion, but her guts didn't stop shivering at the persistent way the woman was looking at her.

Mikasa blinked, insecure about what to say exactly, and Hanji bended a bit in a confidential gesture.

"So, tell me…" she started, her cheeks reddening, burning with curiosity. "Did you see the titan? How does he look like? Does he carry any reproductive system with him? How long is his sha—"

Mikasa felt terribly thankful when Captain Levi interrupted what would have been the most awkward conversation of her life. Erwin and Zacklay followed him from behind, and Mikasa clenched her fists, tense as a rock, starting. What would it happen now? Her life was in all of their hands.

They shut the door and Levi leaned against the nearest wall, the same position he had hours ago. Zacklay stood beside Hanji, and Erwin decided to take a seat at the edge of the bed right in front of Mikasa, but the girl snuggled both knees against her chest. That instant would be extremely decisive, curiosity was shimmering through their eyes and they would ask questions, a lot of questions. But Mikasa had memorized perfectly the undeniable lie that her lips would be uttering carefully. Internally, she thanked Kenny for teaching her how to lie properly. Lies were a daily thing under Kenny's roof.

"How are you feeling, Mikasa?" Erwin asked, his milder voice carrying the softness of silk.

Mikasa avoided all kind of eye contact, nodding and staring at her shaky hands filled with dried mud.

"I know this is hard," The Commander whispered, "but…"

Zacklay's stare drilled Erwin's back, his stubbly cheek ruffling with his mouth as he spoke, disrupting his sentence.

"For fuck's sake, Erwin, get to the fucking point," he said, looking directly at Mikasa in a more bitter way. "Speak now. Have you seen the titan? Why didn't he accept the sacrifice? We've seen the explosion, so don't you dare to lie to us or I swear I will—"

"Hey," Levi warned. "Watch your tongue, you limp-dick old asshole…"

When Zacklay turned around to put Levi in his goddamn place, Mikasa spoke.

"Yes, I saw the titan," She muttered, capturing everyone's attention. "I found it the day after. I tried to hide but… he died," she looked Levi sideways. "I heard you in the forest, I'm sure you found his bones, they evaporated… I don't know why…"

Levi frowned slowly.

"There were two human bodies in there."

Mikasa nodded.

"They appeared right before I found the titan. I think they were hunters, I don't know… they tried to attack me but the titan showed up. One of them… he hurt him, I didn't see how, but the titan killed them both and then he fell. I saw a lightning strike, some kind of… explosion. And then he died."

An abysmal silence embraced the lie Mikasa just told. Every one of them bewildered in their own minds whilst Mikasa clung to the hope she was clinging to firmly, the hope for them to believe every single one of her words even if they weren't true at all. Erwin looked right at Levi, it seemed like their little banter didn't matter anymore.

"It's true what she says, Levi?" He inquired. "About the bones…"

Levi nodded.

"Yes, by the time we arrived they became ashes."

"The titan… spoke? When he saw you, did he say anything?" Hanji asked.

Because of her suggestion, Mikasa knew she was referring to the rest of the titans, those ruling beyond the Forest of Giant Trees. The ones, according to Eren, Shiganshina kept as a secret. But nobody paid attention to Hanji's restlessness, neither did they try to refrain her words. At this point, nothing really mattered anymore.

Mikasa shook her head rapidly.

"No. He just roared."

Erwin sighed.

"I want you to send soldiers to the forest to check out if the titan is really dead," He ordered, staring straight out at Levi.

This one nodded in silence but didn't acknowledge him back. Erwin turned to Mikasa once more.

"I'm really sorry for everything you had to go through," he said, and Mikasa bit back her tongue. How could he even apologize when he was the one who mercilessly sent her inside the forest? Levi snorted at his comment. "Now the titan is dead, we can say the city is finally safe. You don't have to be afraid anymore, you can stay so we can put all this misfortune behind. Take this as some kind of… nightmare that is finally over. Your uncle Kenny is waiting for you outside. We're going to tell him that you are ready to leave now."

 _No, no, no._

Not Kenny.

Please, _please…_

Erwin left the room along with Zacklay and , Levi decided to stay inside the place, noiseless as a bug, though he looked way more relaxed after everybody left. He walked to the bed and took a seat at the edge of the mattress, exhausted and unsmiling, covering his face with both hands and rubbing his eyes. Mikasa felt sorry for him, so she glued her eyes to his face; it was the first time she had him so close to her. She had never accomplished a conversation with Levi before in the past, she only knew how much Kenny hated him and that the feeling was completely reciprocal, her uncle never missed the chance to mock him, labeling him as an insolent brat.

Mikasa ignored his rude comments. Levi never misbehaved in front of her or Jean; mostof time he just ignored them like he did to all the children inside Shiganshina, patrolling the housing roofs with his rifle on his back. Everyone admired him, putting heir own lives upon his shoulders and trusting that Levi would be strong enough to keep the city safe.

Mikasa swallowed, staring at her own hands.

"I'm sorry," She muttered, obliging Levi to abandon his rubbing to stare back at her, frowning, not exactly understanding what she meant. He looked surprised to see her talk. "You helped me. I'm sure that got you into trouble with Erwin. I'm really sorry…"

"Don't apologize, kiddo," Levi replied. "You did nothing wrong. It's me who should apologize. I should have done more than just yell like a little bitch so they won't throw you away in the forest all by yourself."

Mikasa couldn't help but smile at his comment. Captain Levi was famous for his uncontrollable foul language, but that was the first time Mikasa heard him say something like that in front of her. But the smile on her face didn't last long, for Hanji suddenly opened the door, her glasses glowing in the sunlight that poured in from the window.

"Kenny is here."

Mikasa's fists paralyzed and her heart started beating too fast. Without even thinking, she led her eyes to Levi, shaky, expecting to ask for help or just seeking for his protection once more, but that wasn't her intention at all. Sorrow took every inch of Levi's body and with a regrettable sigh he got up. offering her his own hand, ready to help her get up from the bed. With shaky hands and a trembling heart, Mikasa clung her entire self against Levi's hand. They crossed the door through the aisle and at the end of the road his uncle appeared, looking extremely restless, eyes flared and he seemed to be arguing with Zacklay and he suddenly stopped, mouth shut, eyes trembling at the sight of her.

She looked up at Levi again, wondering if now was the right moment to walk away and get back with her uncle. Hanji took a black jacket and handed it to Levi, so he put it on Mikasa's shoulders carefully. She sighed, surprised at such a gesture. She had seen those many times, especially in Jean's mother. Every time he used to leave his place to take a walk with Mikasa, his mom used to put a coat on him in a motherly gesture, protective and loving.

Mikasa never received such kindness before.

Without knowing what to do or say, she moved towards Kenny, her uncle waiting for her with open arms. When she stopped in front of him, he bent to envelop her small body in his rough arms.

"Oh, Mikasa…" He started sobbing, caressing her hair with both hands. "My little girl… Are you okay? Goddammit, just look at you, my poor girl. Don't worry now, everything will be all right. Thank God you're alive, girl. You're truly an Ackerman, huh? Ackerman down to your bones, strong as an oak. Come on, let's go home."

The girl remained rigid during the whole show, wondering if he was crazy or drunk, but he didn't smell like alcohol so that couldn't be it. When he took her hand with the intention of leaving the place once and for all, Mikasa couldn't help but stare at Levi while her uncle dragged her out to the city, giving the Captain one last glance who didn't take his eyes off of her at any moment. When the child left the quarters, Levi sighed. Why did he feel this way?

"Shit." He panted. Hanji looked curiously at him. "Poor child."

 **—o—**

Mikasa was surprised to find a luxurious carriage right in front of the quarter's entrance. According to his uncle, Erwin borrowed the service for them so she could arrive at their new home safe and sound. Yes, new home. For some strange and unknown reason, during the time Mikasa was gone, Kenny managed to get a lot of money and buy that house that for so long he always wanted to own. Mikasa asked herself if that was some kind of silly joke or something, but Kenny insisted that the house was a new one, big and beautiful.

During the trip, they stayed in silence, her uncle more rigidly than ever keeping both fists firmly clenched to each side of his body watching the landscape through the windows whilst Mikasa caressed the soft fabric of her new scarf, Eren's fragrance creating a shell that felt surprisingly comfortable. The smell was everywhere. Autumn, grass, wet soil, cut pine, the strawberries he used to eat inside his cabin, the smell of freedom in Armin's little paws… they were a perfect combination, Armin and Eren. The boy being a monster, his little friend reminding him he was more than that, returning to his arms to caress his wounds after such a painful transformation. She never saw such devotion in an animal before, especially in a wild one. The fox and the titan, together, they didn't need stupid humans sneaking into their little home, they had each other and that was enough.

And still, they both welcomed her with open arms.

Mikasa smiled softly.

When they abandoned the carriage, Mikasa was astonished at the sight of her new home. Even if she wasn't excited about having to live with her uncle again, the immense housing in front of her seemed to carry a hidden secret: the chance to grant her more days from now on. The old house was too tiny and poor; Mikasa couldn't get too much space on her own and having to constantly share every single space with Kenny was a real pain in the ass. But now maybe, just maybe, it could be different, she could ignore him as much as she needed and probably she would be lucky enough to avoid his presence a whole day, knowing her uncle and his affection to spend eternal evenings at the tavern.

And the house was prettier than she thought it would be. A lovely chimney standing in the middle of the living room, surrounded by wooden couches full of green pillows—the kind of green in Eren's eyes,—a carpet as red as the strawberries Eren gave her back at the cabin, and the ladders were so high they could reach the sky, so tall like the trees Eren loved to climb. Somehow, relating her new home with Eren's habitat was a successful way to stay calm. _This is just another extension of his home_ , she told herself. _This is not Kenny's house._

It's not, it's not. _This is Eren_ , everything in here is Eren, everything is—

"Go and wash yourself, you're flighty as a pig."

Mikasa flinched, eyes glued to the floor while her fingertips felt the scarf around her neck, her knuckles turning white because of the pressure she was making against the fabric that secretly swore to protect her, to keep her safe, keep her warm. Her body did not move unlike the infinite pieces of hope crashing through the soil, a hope that absurdly burgeoned when her uncle hugged her back in the quarters, a hope getting evaporated like water with too much heat.

Everything was just a performance.

She knew, she knew, _she knew_ it would be this way. With Kenny it was always this way.

Without adding anything at all, completely on her own and leaving part of her soul behind—Mikasa used to leave tiny pieces of herself in different places, like if she might need them in the future to regain strength—she went upstairs to find the bathroom, her footsore impregnating the steps with old mud and she knew her uncle will get mad at that, actually, she heard him sigh behind her back. And for an instant the stairs looked taller than ever, an endless road she wasn't prepared to take. Why did her uncle choose a house with so many stairs? They were infinite, like a stairway to heaven, or hell.

The forest trees. Think about them; think about Eren climbing the trunks and how tall he looked, so proud of himself. Think about Armin looking at him from underneath, like a devout payer worshiping some mighty God. Just think about Eren.

 _Eren, Eren, Eren._

And she did, and she found the strength she lost minutes ago thanks to her uncle. She found herself again, or that's what she thought she did. By the time she found her room she noticed that almost plenty of her stuff where in there, like her bed and the table mirror. On top of the bed, there was a tiny garment bag. She picked up the outfit of the day and went to the bathroom that was, surprisingly, inside her own room. That meant that she didn't have to share the same bath with her uncle, and that was definitely a relief. She got all the hot water she could find and poured it all inside the bathtub, getting rid of her clothing and putting it aside so that it wouldn't get wet.

The water was hot when she got inside, but she didn't feel it burn her skin. She didn't feel anything.

Embracing her legs against her chest after washing her hair and body, Mikasa cried. Tears caressed her soft cheeks, her childish feelings toiling with her heart. She didn't even know why she wept, maybe because of the false greeting her uncle gave her, knowing that her mere presence was a nuisance for him and that not even in a million years he would be glad to see her. Maybe she cried because of the way Levi gave her that black jacket, comforting her with a spark of hope, of love, something nobody ever did in the past. She cried for dead parents she never met, not even in pictures, paintings a letter… she cried for Eren, for his loneliness and she cried for her own too, for the eternal desolation wrapping her like the hands of death, the hands of Kenny.

When the bathwater got cold, Mikasa got up and dressed in her new clothes, leaving her room and heading downstairs. She stopped at seeing Kenny place a plate full of food upon the table. Grilled chicken with potatos and rice. The sight of it made her salivate.

The kitchen was spacious and cozy and extremely clean, which was surprising, considering how messy her uncle was. "Eat," He ordered her, nodding for Mikasa to take a seat on the empty stool.

When Mikasa sat down on the chair and started eating, Kenny poured some whiskey into his glass, and gave his niece a cup full of orange juice as he sat right in front of her, staring at her as one who keeps his eyes on the target, waiting for his next attack. But Mikasa avoided all possible eye contact, focusing on her plate and chewing every piece of chicken carefully, trying not to choke due how famished she was. She gazed around at the kitchen, her mouth full.

"The kitchen looks very clean." She muttered, and then she looked at her uncle. "Did you clean it?"

Kenny clenched his jaw, holding the glass of whiskey. He laughed, dryly.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" His question was absolutely rhetoric. "Yeah, sure you are. You must feel relaxed now that you have Levi on your side, right? Now that I see, you guys are very similar. Both are equally… idealists, romantic, tender… even share the same kind of eyes. Curious, don't you think?"

Mikasa stopped eating, hands trembling.

"I—"

"Shut up already," he grumbled, putting the glass back on the table again, the sound of the wood and the glass meeting each other creating a terrible noise that expanded through the empty house, an echo on the walls, in her ears. "If your mere presence annoys me, hearing you talk is even worse. You're like a fucking plague from which I cannot get rid off, it doesn't matter how far away I'm going, you're always behind my ass like a dying dog."

Mikasa remained still as a rock, her uncle's voice grating her ears with every word. _Even your presence annoys me, you're like a fucking plague, always behind my ass like a dying dog._

Kenny let out a sigh.

"I'm going to buy some stuff, I'll be back soon. Hope to find you here when I return."

Kenny took his cowboy hat hanging out from the chair and put it on his head, leading to the door and closing it fiercely, making the windows shake. Mikasa clenched both fists, eyes burning with tears, and abandoned the kitchen right away, leaving her meal half-finished to go to her new bedroom. She knew that inside that tiny room she would feel safer for now, the kitchen was her latest favorite place inside the house. Her body fell on the bed and with both hands she took Eren's scarf, placing it over her face, smelling the sweet aroma, and she decided to use it. It was still midday but she really couldn't wait any minute to receive the night, the moment when she will abandon her new home to visit Eren inside the forest.

She knew it could be dangerous, but Mikasa was willing to sacrifice herself just to see him one more time. She smiled at the thought of him, her heart fluttering rapidly, but her smile disappeared when she heard a sudden noise near the window. She got up, surprised. What the hell was that? Her eyes traveled to the hatch, not daring to approach it.

"Ah…" Someone panted. "Mi… Mikasa! Hey, Mikasa!"

The girl sighed.

"Jean?"

She hopped off the bed, eyes dwelling on the window and both her feet scurrying to open it, peering down to find her best friend trying to climb the tree decorating her new garden, almost reaching the main branch that connected to the window. She was surprised but extremely happy. She didn't have the chance to see him since she came back.

"Jean, you're going to fall down!"

He gasped.

"I-I'm fine. I've seen your uncle leaving. Come on, let's go outside!"

Mikasa grimaced. She would get into big, big trouble if her uncle returned just to find nothing at all, not a single trace of her. But Mikasa really wanted to be with Jean, even for a couple of hours. So, sighing at her best friend's silliness, Mikasa climbed the nearest branch, sliding down through the trunk as Jean offered her a hand. Her foot finally touched the firm ground, internally thanking Eren for obliging her to climb that enormous tree with the intention of seeing the titans that night, now you could say she was a professional tree climber.

Jean and Mikasa stared at each other for a minute, without knowing what to say, but Jean broke the silence by leaning to her, enveloping his whole self against her in the warmest of hugs. Mikasa's response was brighter than the sun, hiding her tiny face against his chest. Jean was an open book, his feelings floating like butterflies around them.

"I've missed you so much," He whispered right in her ear, voice cracking. Was he crying? "I thought you were going to die."

Mikasa broke the hug just to find a small tear sliding down his cheek. With her fingers, she wiped it away, smiling softly. Took his hand firmly and both started to walk down the city. The situation would have been pretty uncomfortable if it wasn't because Jean was walking right beside her, keeping her company. Every single person inside the town staring at her, whispering behind her back. Even though Mikasa could not hear what they were saying, the words _sacrifice_ and _titan_ were repeated frequently, making her feel weird, out of place.

She tried to ignore the fact that she was the center of attention and continued walking along with Jean, talking about nothing and everything at the same time. He asked her if she saw the titan, how the hell she managed to survive two whole days inside that horrible forest. Mikasa tried her best to create another false story about what happened, being extremely careful in her words to not over share or even mention the name Eren. She felt bad for lying to her best friend, but Eren's security was more important than anything.

Both passed the market stall, enjoying the company and the good aroma from grilled beef in the air mixing with the murmur of the people. They crossed the city bridge leading up to the small cemetery right in front of the cathedral, a pretty place despite the gloomy atmosphere due the tombs, withered and covered by dust.

"Does your mom know you're here with me?" Mikasa asked, taking a seat on one of the many abandoned barrels.

Jean followed suit, sighing.

"No, she thinks I went to buy some milk."

Mikasa said nothing. She really understood Jean's situation and how hard it could be with his mom sometimes, but very deep inside her chest, she was bothered by the fact that Jean always used to lie in front of her, like if the mere fact of Mikasa being his friend could be something she could take as a shame, an atrocity.

But she didn't say anything about it.

"Intimating with the rats again, Jean-boo?"

It didn't take any more than two-seconds to make Mikasa's spine shiver. For an instant, she couldn't see. Her sight was submerged into a deep dim, the dip of her spine rigidly due the plaguing words reverberating inside her head, piling close to Kenny's, creating a large list of speeches she hated so much.

Rat.

It didn't have anything to do with those frightful words—rat, ackerslave, Kenny's bastard—that Reiner Braun just enounced, one Jean's many friends. It had to do with the fact that among all her friends—all? Basically, Jean was the only one she had—Jean was the one she considered the best, the kind of friend for whom she had risk many of Kenny's bruises just for the pleasure of seeing, escaping many nights to return home with a fist waiting for her right at the entrance, ready to bombard her face. But it was worth it, every single fist was worth Jean's friendship. It had a lot to do with the fact that his best friend didn't even make the effort to put on a hand against her needy shoulders, assuring the protection only a best friend could offer.

He did nothing.

Was he ashamed?

Annie, one of the others Jean's friend and a girl Mikasa hated deeply, started chuckling along with Bertholdt. "I'm sure she must taste like shit if the titan didn't swallow her, he preferred to die before even trying."

Another hint, another burst of blood falling from her eyes like tears, and Mikasa closed her eyelids once again. She could have defended herself, of course, but it hurt too much this time and every passing second where Jean remained silent, it grieved her scar a little more.

"You shouldn't spend your time with her, Jean-boo," Reiner said, haughty. "Servants aren't good company."

Annie giggled again.

"But, deep inside, I really admire your courage, Jean," She said. "It's disgusting to even look at her."

A deep clang came out of nowhere and Mikasa opened her eyes, startled. Jean's friends also seemed overwhelmed by the sound, especially when from the roofs Captain Levi he landed gracefully onto the ground sporting his Maneuver Gear. The man glanced at Mikasa and then at Annie, the little girl feeling intimidated by his terrible presence.

"Finally, we agree on something, Leonhardt!" Mikasa sighed, her chest about to explode when Levi's voice made his way through the small group, eyes nothing affable despite his tone. "I find it awful as well, I can't even look at it, you know," he said, but he didn't point out Mikasa, "It's not completely disguising, is it, that nose?"

Annie's cheeks blushed fiercely, touching her nose with offended eyes. Levi seemed happy with himself.

"My father will—"

Levi interrupted even before the girl could finish her sentence.

"Your father is a fucking coward that is only good for fucking whores and your mother is a religious fanatic that lives asking the gods why the hell she conceived a daughter with such a titanic and ugly nose."

Bertholdt clenched his fists and whispered an ephemeral _let's get out of here._ But he stopped when he saw Jean didn't follow him. He stared at him again, furious this time. "I said let's go, Jean."

Jean hesitated, looking at Mikasa sideways and bending his face in a shameful way. He got up from his seat and followed his stupid friends to get lost in the alleys of Shiganshina. She swore she heard a _my father will know about this_ coming out of Reiner's mouth, but she wasn't interested in Reiner's threats or Annie's teasing. During long minutes, Jean didn't say a word, he was incapable of opening his mouth and standing up for her, for his best friend. Mikasa felt terribly miserable.

"Ah, fucking brats," Levi grumbled to himself, looking at Mikasa. "Hey, are you okay?"

The girl nodded without looking at him in the eyes, focusing her eyes on his own hands tightening her fingers over and over again, trying to contain her petty sniveling. She felt the weight of Levi when he toke place of Jean's old seat, bringing out a small bottle from the inner pockets of his brown jacket, then he stared at her.

"You want some?"

Mikasa was absolutely convinced that the content from the bottle was alcohol; it had to be. She looked at him, confused, but Levi blurted out a tiny giggle. It was the first time she heard him laugh.

"Come on, I'm just kidding," he asserted, taking a sip. "I'm still being a responsible adult."

Wow, it seemed like Captain Levi had a sense of humor. The girl went back to her hands again, wondering why they were trembling so hard all the time, it was something strangely common in her body. She was always trembling, her heart was always frozen or beating too fast, her eyes were always crying or absent in the middle of her books, dreaming about a life she never had, a life she probably would never gain. Jean's attitude towards her didn't seem to appease those feelings but, wasn't that what a best friend was supposed to do in those type of moments? Appease? Appease the pain inside her throat, the blood rushing through her eyes; melt the chronic freezing of her heart? That's what she read in many books, that was what Armin did after Eren's transformation: lick his wounds, caress his pain, comfort him through the battle. After every transformation Armin was there, taking care of his human friend. He could not speak, he could not hug, but his mere presence was enough for Eren because words weren't needed.

But Jean didn't even bother at all.

"I thought he was my friend," She whispered.

Levi huffed loudly. For an instant, Mikasa forgot he was still there.

"Friend? He's a mommy's boy, I have seen her covering him on perfume up to the rear just because she wants her Jean-boo to look 'highly presentable', fuck that." He replied, grumpy as his own. "What that brat really needs is a father figure to teach him how to piss on a sidewalk and burp after a good beer."

Even if he wasn't speaking the best about her best friend, Mikasa giggled at the Captain's occurrences. He stared at her from above, a tiny smile on his lips, proud of achieving his mission.

"What are you laughing at? It's true." He added, sighing heavily. "But forget about Jean-boobs… you give a shit about what other people think of you. You know, when I was little I had people mocking me because I was a shorty. All my friends were taller than me. They used to call me The Imp."

Mikasa looked up,curious at the Captain's sincerity.

"The Imp?"

Levi nodded.

"Absurd, right? So, to prove my strength, we decided to make a bet. We were going to steal some round loaves in the bakery near the square. They said that my legs were short so I couldn't be able to run fast enough to escape from the bakery and that the baker would haunt me down, so we tested. They had long legs, they were taller, trusting that their little mischief will go unharmed. But they were too tall so the baker caught them all, his heads peering up above the counters. They ran fast, yeah, but they got caught cause the baker saw their faces. But me…"

Mikasa opened her mouth, completely submerged and disposed to hear the rest of the story.

"I was so short that I managed to sneak out through the counters, because my head didn't even reach the top. I stole the bread and not even the clients saw me there. It wasn't even necessary to run because nobody noticed me. So I faced my friends with the bread between my hands and smiled. And you know what I told them?"

He made a pause, keeping the suspense. Mikasa shook her head, inviting him to keep talking, so Levi crossed both arms against his chest, smirking at the memory.

"I told them they could stick that bread right up their asses and that I was proud to be an imp, that way I'm be short enough to smack their balls off with a kick."

Unable to believe her ears, Mikasa started chuckling uncontrollably. She wasn't exactly sure if that was something good or not, but the story was extremely hilarious especially by the way Levi had told it. The girl did not know either if the story was veridical or not, but the tale did definitely make her feel better.

He continued, this time setting the humor aside.

"You're strong, Mikasa, and that bothers them. Nobody survives two days inside that forest with a titan on the prowl. But you did it."

She frowned.

"I would like to be stronger than that. I would like to—"

She couldn't even finish her sentence when strong steps were heard in the middle of the cemetery. Kenny Ackerman was standing in front of them, coming from the same aisle Jean and his friend had left.

"Well, well, why this doesn't surprise me at all?" He mocked, slowly approaching to them. He looked at Mikasa. "I told you to stay in the fucking house."

Levi gave him a reluctant look. "She can go wherever the hell she wants."

"She will go wherever the hell I want cause she's my fucking niece and thanks to me she has room and board. For fuck's sake, Levi, mind your own goddamn business." Kenny accused. He went to Mikasa and took her by the arm sharply, obliging her to get up from her seat. "Let's go."

Mikasa did not make any sign of letting go his hand and with a heavy sigh, she let herself guide by her uncle who sharply was sticking his nails against her skin over her coat. She turned around with the intention of saying goodbye, peering at him over her shoulder whilst her little hand was waving through the air, weakly. It was the least he deserved after wasting his valuable time on someone like her. She liked the Captain. Levi responded to her the same way despite his grumpy features because of Kenny, but his eyes melted once they fixed on Mikasa's.

With clattering teeth, they crossed the city until they finally arrived home. Kenny abandoned her in the living room and went to the kitchen to serve himself a glass of his so loved whiskey and Mikasa knew how things would turn on if she stayed there, so she left him all alone and went to her room, waiting for the night to come so she could finally visit Eren, once and for all.

And so the night came, waking up suddenly after realizing she fell asleep reading a book near the window, slobber sliding down the corner of her mouth. She hopped from her seat, fearing it was maybe too late and Eren was waiting for her through long hours. So she took a coat, the scarf and leather boots. Abandoned the room and went downstairs to check if Kenny was still there, the candlesticks were on but her uncle was sleeping on the couch, two empty whiskey bottles surrounding him.

Mikasa went back to her room and closed the door carefully, trying not to make too much noise. She took the pillows and put them beneath the blankets to suggest a body's silhouette, and then she opened the window to escape, climbing the tree. Her hands clung to her scarf and started walking to the forest; it was a good thing the city looked empty despite some taverns and brothels. A couple of soldiers were walking side by side on top of the roofs, but it wasn't a complicated thing for Mikasa to sneak out and go unnoticed, she was also kind of shorty, and found herself smiling at that. The situation was pretty similar to the story Levi told her that morning.

When she realized she was away enough from the city to find herself at the entrance of the forest, Mikasa stepped aside a couple branches and entered inside that everlasting darkness. She regretted herself for not bringing a candle or something that could illuminate her path, but maybe it was better this way. It wasn't on her plans to burn down the Forest of Giant Trees.

She made sure to follow the road Eren showed her to arrive at the cabin, but everything was too dark to see clearly. Out of nowhere, suddenly, Mikasa jumped out when she heard a noise coming from above. She looked up, rigid, and a couple of green eyes burning like fire and shimmering like emeralds stood out in the darkness, watching her. Despite the theatrical scene, the girl sighed quietly.

"You're late," Eren replied, sitting on a branch at the top of a tree.

Mikasa smiled.

* * *

 **A/N:** I AM SO SORRY OH MY GOD.

I wanted to update on Christmas, I swear, but I had a few problems going on and I couldn't. But I'm back! I'm here to stay and I promise you that I will be updating so much faster than before, hopefully, next week or so.

Okay, this is personally my favorite chapter so far, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I saw a review mentioning their wishes for Levi's to have more protagonist in the fic, and I'm happy to tell you that he will have, he's very important for Mikasa's development so expect to see very cute moments between them :)

I know that Eren hasn't appeared much this chap, but he will be more present in the next one. Today I wanted to focus on Mikasa's relationship with her environment: Jean, Kenny and Levi. Thank you SO much for all the people who followed and favorited this story, I really can't believe there're so many people liking this story when only counts with 4 chapters now. And also thank you sososo much to my dear Nat **(natiwati)** who helped me editing this stuff, now go to read her eremika fics! She's awesome!

If you liked this chapter, please leave a review :) you will make me very happy.

See you guys next time!

 _ **—Mel.**_


	5. A Tiny Love

**«I Will Always Return»**

Characters belong to Hajime Isayama.

 **Summary:  
** AU. Eren is a titan shifter that lives in the Forest. The people of Shiganshina fear him, so they decide to give him a sacrifice and in return, he must leave the village alone. Mikasa is a girl who is chosen to be the sacrifice. When she is left in the forest, instead of finding a terrifying titan, she finds a lonely boy. Eremika.

* * *

 **AN/:** Ahhh, it's been a long time, I'm so sorry! *sobs* I have no excuse. During the past couple months I've been dealing with many family problems that got me very anxious and it was very hard to find the motivation to write. But thank God, everything is okay now, so I'm back for good. I wanna thank all the people who reviewed the last chapter, thank you so much! Happy reading, and ignore any grammar issues, I have a huge problem with keeping my betas alive, lmao.

* * *

 **—o—**

That morning, Mikasa had a nightmare.

She woke up panting and soaking wet, blurting out a muffled shriek whilst her body abandoned the comfort of her bed with a jolt, her eyes dwelling in her surroundings, the sunlight barely penetrating the curtains in her window. For an instant she thought she wouldn't be able to breathe, she couldn't even remember when was the last time she woke up that way after a bad sleep. Her eyes went shut, her little fingers rubbing the skin of her eyelids while her body was slowly lowering its guard. Internally, she blamed Eren for being the responsible of her nightmare.

Last night when she visited him at the forest, both abandoned the cabin to dive into the woods and make a campfire. A campfire in where Eren told her a story—according to him, a legend, myth, or almost reality—his father once told him when he was younger.

It was called the legend of _Hitobashira_. According to Eren, Hitobashira meant "human pillars". Just by hearing the name Mikasa felt terrified. The legend said that formerly when titans ruled the earth—even though Mikasa knew that hadn't changed at all, not like the rest of the Shiganshina townsfolk used to believe—it existed huge walls that protected what was left of the human civilization.

"They made sacrifices," Eren said, his emerald eyes powerfully brightened by the fire. "The sacrifices were necessary for the constructions to be always protected and secure, strong and stable. They choose a poor wretch and seal him alive within the pillars. If the gods allowed the sacrifice, the buildings would endure for many years. My father said that despite the protections that the walls would offer, these would always hold the presence of the spirits of the people trapped inside the constructions."

The story remained inside Mikasa's head for a long time, even more, when Eren decided to finish the tale with a dismal personal thought.

"But I have my doubts," he muttered, meditative. For some strange reason, Mikasa believed he never told her the whole story. "I don't think the sacrifices and the walls were made of humans. I think they were build up with titans."

When Mikasa inquired the reason of his odd comment, Eren simply shrugged, his eyes not daring to abandon the sway of the fire. And that's how everything started. The long path Mikasa took on her way to Shiganshina, tense as a rock, surrounded by the large trees that rose as monsters in the dark, watching her, swaying with the beat of the wind, threatening her with the stories Eren told her hours ago. And it was when she found shelter under the warmth of her bed and sheets, when her eyes went shut at the feeling of tiredness taking control over her body, that she dreamed with Eren's tale.

Walls so huge that could almost touch the clouds, thick and endurable. And Eren himself, in his titan form, being consumed by the cement of the walls, covering his whole body and hardening him like the old statues dwelling in the Shiganshina temple. A large row of hardened titans standing like statues surrounding that big wall Eren described to her perfectly. Under the restlessness of her room, Mikasa theorized about it. It couldn't be real, couldn't? It really existed a lost city surrounded by walls beyond Shiganshina? It really existed a whole new civilization out there? Erwin never mentioned anything about it. Under his statement and the stupid tale he managed to tell the citizens for many years, they were the only civilization that remained alive after the titans slaughter them all hundred years ago. According to Erwin, they were the only ones left.

 _What a big lie,_ Mikasa thought.

When the room slowly started to welcome the daylight, Mikasa left her bed ready to start out the morning. She abandoned her room to walk down the stairs way to the kitchen, in where she felt glad to find a wrinkled piece of paper with the words _"I'll be back later, buy something if you're hungry"_ onto the table, along with a tiny but attractive bag of coins. Mikasa smiled, excited to know that Kenny wouldn't be around to ruin her day, she would have the house all to herself. She stared at the money, doubtful, and her heart gave a little throb when a great and exciting idea came to her mind all of sudden. Last night, while talking to Eren, between a big bunch of nonsense she learned something new: he liked sweet snacks. Of course, alone in the forest with absolutely no contact with technology and surviving only with meat and some fruits, he couldn't afford himself to cook a more elaborated meal, something that could easily satisfy his gluttony.

But that day was going to be different. Mikasa went back to her room to get dressed—adding her new red scarf to her outfit, the day was frozen—and took the bag of money Kenny left her, abandoning the house way to a good market. It was decided: she would cook a sweet dessert and give it to Eren tonight. Even better, if Kenny didn't return at 4:00 o'clock, Mikasa would take the risk to visit the woods even earlier, making sure no one would notice her absence.

The city happened to be very active even when the day threatened a tough storm. The smell of an upcoming rain filled her face as she could still feel the eyes of the citizens upon her, no one seemed to get over the fact that she was still alive, that Kenny's little niece survived a whole night inside the forest just to claim her right to keep living, to come home. But that day nothing was going to scare her. After receiving a shameful accusation by Eren's hands when she told him what Jean and his friends did to her, putting emphasis on how _stupid_ she was for allowing them to treat her like that, Mikasa knew those days would be over. She had to be brave, braver than she ever was; she had to lift up her face, proudly, leaving the fear behind.

Mikasa also told him about Kenny's abusive behavior, how mad he was at having her with him once again and how horrifying it was for her to share the same house with that pig. Because of that, Eren taught her to spit. Mikasa was speechless.

"I'll teach you to spit," he said, solemn. "Like a boy would do. If he bothers you again, you just have to spit him. It always works."

And so it was. Both climbed the nearest branch and from the top Eren taught her how to do it properly, using the poor Armin as a target, but luckily the little fox dodged every single one of his attacks. For being her first lesson, Eren said, she did it quite well. Mikasa smiled at the memory of such scene. It was very nice to have someone to talk with.

On her way to the bakery, she heard an intense whistle in the distance. She turned around, stunned, and saw Captain Levi standing on top of a roof along with Hanji, both standing guard. The woman raised her hand, waving it euphorically in the air. Mikasa giggled, shaking her hand, returning the greeting and receiving a warm smile from Levi. Every kid inside Shiganshina feared Levi for his stoic personality, but Mikasa liked him every day a bit more.

The girl resumed her way and got inside Mr. Hanne's bakery, who kindly gave her a smile when he saw her enter the store. The old man ran the bakery for many years and he was truly a gentleman with Mikasa.

"Look who's here," he announced, some people inside the store turned around to see her, making her blush. Nobody could understand why Hannes took the trouble to speak with someone like her.

Mikasa smiled softly, approaching to the counter.

"Good morning, Mr. Hannes."

"Good morning, little dove. I'm glad to see you here. What you came to buy?"

The girl pursed her lips, staring at the delights resting behind the counter glass. Cakes, cheese bread, ham omelet and eggs… it'd be so much easier to buy something already cooked and give it to Eren instead of doing it herself, but Mikasa really enjoyed cooking and she wanted to make something special for him, something made by her own hands. Cupcakes were a good and simple choice and she had made them before. Chocolate and cinnamon cupcakes, nice, it was sweet. He'd love it.

Mikasa memorized the main ingredients.

"Three eggs," she asked, tilting her face. "Flour. Sugar… oh, no, we have sugar. Umm, chocolate, milk… I think that's it."

Hannes nodded, patient, and filled a bag with her orders. Once he handed her the bag and Mikasa gave him the money, Hannes stopped momentarily to give her two beautiful white flowers, fresh and new.

"Take this. Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl."

Mikasa smiled, accepting the flowers. She'd make sure to give one to Eren. After say goodbye to Hannes, Mikasa decided to buy some lemons and the cinnamon, avoiding any kind of paths that would lead her to the taverns for the fear of stumble upon Kenny, he used to visit those places quite a lot. Absently and on her way home once she bought everything she needed to prepare the cupcakes, she spotted a small clothing booth that caught her attention when she saw a pretty red sweater, hung alongside a woolen hat and two white gloves. Eren lived completely alone inside the forest; sheltered by the animal skins he hunted most of the time. It'd be nice if he had some regular clothing with him, right? Besides, this season promised to be the coldest of all. She didn't want for Eren to catch a cold.

She stared at the bag of money and shook it in her hand, trying to count the amount of money left. Maybe Kenny would get mad to know she had spent all of the money in unnecessary stuff, but… why would he find out? Smiling at her defiance spirit, Mikasa bought the sweater, the hat and the gloves. But it wasn't until she paid when she found, a little hidden, a tiny baby sweater. She frowned, doubtful, and looked at the woman behind the counter holding the clothing in her hands.

"Do you think this can fit a cat?" She enquired.

The woman tilted her face, confused. "A cat?"

Mikasa nodded.

"I just bought a cat from this size," she lied, moving her hands. "And he's always cold. Do you think he can wear this?"

The woman looked at the clothing, shrugging.

"Well… I think so. You should cut the sleeves a bit, he wouldn't be able to walk with them."

Mikasa smiled.

"Okay. I'll buy it."

Once she paid and saved the clothing within her bags, gusts of thrill-filled every edge of her body. Armin would love his new gift. And taking the poor little animal into consideration, she bought to him a branch of grapes. Eren confessed to her that Armin loved grapes, but in this season it was kind of hard to find them inside the forest. But she was lucky to have the market of Shiganshina completely at her service.

After she purchased everything she needed, she resumed her way home, but the silhouette of a tall and blond kid forced her to stop, her rigidly breathing caressing her soft lips due the surprise. She didn't expect to see him, to be honest.

Jean waited in front of her, blocking her way out. Sideways, he gazed at the bags she was embracing against her chest.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Mikasa remembered Eren's scathing words.

 _Why do you let people treat you like that, while your head falls down like some stupid little girl? Only the bravest survive in this world. You have to fight. If you win, you live. If you lose, you die. If you don't fight, you can't win._

She sighed, clenching her fists, staring at Jean's eyes.

"Don't talk to me in public, Jean," she suggested. "You may embarrass your friends."

The girl dodged Jean with the intention to leave and avoid what would definitely be a heartbroken and uncomfortable conversation, but his hand stopped by grabbing her arm. He looked very guilty.

"Don't talk like that," he complained. "Please. I want to talk to you."

Mikasa stared at her own feet, undecided. Jean was a weird thing, you see. A very peculiar boy. A friend who always remained by her side when the bruises in her skin were too painful, when the terrible memories of his uncle used to vanish at the way Jean clutched her hand, his fingers caressing her soft hair muttering a faint everything will be okay that Mikasa knew wasn't true at all but she believed anyway, simply because it was Jean the one preaching it. And for her, Jean's words were a fact. But still, she didn't want to talk to him, not just yet, not after what happened days ago. Mikasa held the bags firmly in her hands and with a quick movement of her head, she told him to follow her. She dragged him into a small alley that smelled like rotting garbage, left the bags on the floor being careful not to moisten the packages with the water puddles protruding between the cracks, and crossed her arms, remaining severe and arching one brow.

 _You must be intimidating_ , she said to herself.

"Fine. What do you want to talk about?" demanded. "You wanna talk about the way your friends made fun of me? Of how you remained silence and Captain Levi had to interfere? I don't want to talk about that."

Jean scratched the back of his head, rammed in a true from which he had no escape.

"Mikasa, y-you know my mom doesn't want me to break my friendship with Reiner and the others, she says—"

"I know what you mom thinks of me," she replied, a throbbing pain scratching her heart. She wanted to cry. "I know what everybody in this town thinks of me. But I thought you were my friend. Kenny hates you, but I've always ignored his protests. I never stopped being your friend because of it."

He sighed, looking at his trembling hands.

"I-I know, and I—"

"You've always been ashamed of our friendship," Mikasa interrupted, furious as it can be. "You try not to talk to me in public fearing that your mom or your stupid friends will see us. If you're so worried about people's expectations, then I'm afraid we won't be able to be friends any longer."

Mikasa picked up her stuff, ready to finally abandon the alley, but Jean blocked her way again. His cheeks were red as cherries; he was desperate for Mikasa to hear his version of the story.

"W-Wait, Mikasa, I…" He started, insecure. "I-I… I love you…"

The girl stared at him, still as a rock. He frowned, blurting out a heavy sigh and lowered his gaze, his hands were shivering while grabbing her pale arm, trying to prevent her escape at all cost. It wasn't the first time Jean's lips whispered I love you to her, he never felt ashamed to take her hand in an absently manner guided by a boost, or encircle an arm around her faint shoulders. He never hid his true feelings. However, in that particular instant, she saw in his eyes an abyssal flare that Mikasa was not able to unravel. She wanted to say something, anything, but Jean cut in.

"You're…" he said, without looking at her in the eyes. "You're my friend. My best friend. I'm a coward, I know. I should have said something… I'm really sorry, Mikasa. I'll speak with them, with my mom, I promise. I don't want to lose you again."

And it hurt him. She knew how painful it was for Jean that the whole city would've offered her as the sacrifice. She knew that Jean wouldn't be able to handle something like that again. Even if she wanted, she couldn't just ignore his pleas. Mikasa pulled her hand away from his grip, she didn't want to be rude, but the pain was still burning inside her. Who assured her that Jean would really speak with his mom and friends? Who assured her that such moment would not happen again in the future? She couldn't just let him use her that way whenever he wanted.

"I love you too, Jean." She muttered. "But I need more than just words to believe in you."

Mikasa turned around, ready to leave, grabbing the bags to make everything less painful than what already was. She wanted to finally put an end to the conversation and start making the cupcakes and visit Eren before Kenny returned home. She couldn't wait till the night to see him. Mikasa swallowed, a sense of guiltiness bouncing every edge of her body at the way she left Jean behind. She didn't want to be mad at him, but it was necessary for Jean to learn how to appreciate her as a friend, he needed to appreciate their friendship.

And Mikasa needed to appreciate herself.

"I saw you walking into the forest last night."

During an instant, Mikasa almost dropped the bags onto the floor. She remained backward, rigid as a rock and wide-eyed.

 _W-What?_

Mikasa turned around, numb, and the coldness that she witnessed in Jean's eyes was extremely overwhelming. He wasn't looking at her with kind eyes anymore, sad eyes that begged for an apology and the possibility for everything to go back to the way it was. His scathing features looked as grim as the words he spoke, lacking tenderness. The character changed like a switch of a light. Mikasa stared at him in silence, wondering what excuse could she bring out to justify her acts. But there was nothing at all. There was nothing she could say to go unnoticed.

But Jean did not seem willing to wait for an answer. He approached her, his hands jammed into the pockets of his trouser.

Why? Why did he bring up something like this, why now? It wasn't the moment or the place. Not when seconds ago he looked devastated and desperate to reconcile with her. Now, he was talking as if nothing ever happened.

"Your new house is near mine. From my terrace I can see the whole town, especially your backyard. I think you just miss out that little detail before deciding to sneak out into the forest. What were you doing in there?"

Shit.

"J-Jean…"

"Why did you returned?" He inquired, frowning. His eyes were worried. "That forest is dangerous, Mikasa. Besides, the titan—"

"You already know the titan is dead," she interrupted, trying to convince him otherwise. "I told Erwin Smith. He announced it to the people."

"If a beast like that lived in the forest, who knows what other things lurk in there? And what if your uncle fi—"

Mikasa put the bags aside and took Jean's hands, pleading. He was surprised to see her shivering.

"No, Jean, please… don't tell my uncle. Please."

He looked at her as if she was crazy. "Mikasa…"

"Please!" she begged. "I… I can't tell you more. I just can't. I hope you can be a good friend and keep the secret for me."

No more words were spoken. Mikasa picked up her stuff and left the alley with the sound of Jean screaming her name from behind, trying to convince her to come back and resume the tense conversation. But she didn't. Mikasa walked too fast on her way home, and when she arrived, she slammed the door as if a shadow had been following her through the whole path. How was it even possible that Jean saw her entering the forest? She made sure to leave the house late at night, when the whispers of the town died and the moon was the only thing alive in the skies. Besides, Jean's mom never allowed him to stay up so late. So how could he…? She sighed, trying to calm down. She would manage to find a good excuse that could distract Jean somehow.

She could even ask Eren if there was a different path to take in order to arrive at the forest without using the regular trail, the one everybody knew and it was visible to Jean's eyes.

Trying to find some relax and taking advantage of Kenny's absence, she hurried to start baking the cupcakes and make the mixture: flour, eggs, milk and small pieces of chocolate. She poured out the mixture into the molds and as she waited for the cupcakes to bake, Mikasa melted out the chocolate to cover the cakes. When these were ready, she threw some cinnamon on the top, putting an end to the final recipe. She peeked down to smell the sweet aroma, it looked delicious. Mikasa smiled, Eren was going to be very excited.

Putting the cupcakes aside, she took a pretty basket that was used to keep fruits that Kenny never ate, and little by little filled it with all the things she'd take to Eren. Under her bed she found a black pair of shoes she never used, they were too big. Even if they looked a bit girly, maybe Eren could use them, it was better than be barefoot all the time. The basket was full and heavy with the grapes and the attire for Armin, the sweater, the hat, the gloves and the shoes for Eren along with the cupcakes engulfed inside a wooden box. Making sure she picked up all she needed, Mikasa smiled. Great.

It was time.

She went down into the basement in where Kenny used to keep old tools, like bullets and some weapons collection, and grabbed a rope. Went back to the kitchen, grabbed the basket and moved to her room, closing the door afterward. Took some pillows and hid them inside the sheets, trying to recreate the silhouette of a person sleeping. Opened the windows and tied the rope around the basket handle, sliding it down till it touched the ground and then Mikasa was the next one to descend through the window, her hands holding on firmly against the nearest branches of the tree that decorated her backyard.

Once she arrived, she untied the rope and took the basket into her arms, ready to march to the forest. She made sure to look back, trying to stay as close as possible against the shrubs that surrounded the whole city, trying to camouflage her body between them and go unnoticed. Mikasa wasn't entirely sure if she made it, but she breathed with relief when the travel was over and her feet touched the path that little by little became familiar with every visit. She followed it faithfully, just like Eren explained.

She got deep into the forest with a shiver impregnated in her skin, even if did not snowed that day, the air felt too cold, and the deeper she traveled into the path she knew, Mikasa noticed that there was no sign of Eren. Last time he found her, scaring her little heart to death sitting on top of a tree. In any case, Eren wasn't waiting for her that afternoon, we both agreed to meet at night, like always. Mikasa was convinced Eren would be mad at seeing her out of the blue without a previous warning, when everybody could notice her absence. It was a big risk to abandon Shiganshina like that. But Mikasa didn't care.

The path turned out to be more stressful than usual when she decided to march directly to Eren's cabin, tired of rambling around without finding anything at all, and she didn't spot Armin either.

Mikasa blurt out a sigh when she spotted Eren's cabin hidden behind some trees. It was almost there. Her hands felt tired of carrying the basket. Her feet walked towards her destiny, dodging some mischievous branches and stones that made her slide off. Once she approached enough to the cabin, Mikasa peered down the door and found Eren lying on his bed, Armin was by his side. The fox jumped out at the sight of her; abandoning the comfort he had alongside his human friend and came to welcome her with palpable nervousness. It was not as if Mikasa had much experience with animals or something like that, but she had a dog many years ago.

Once, his uncle got drunk up to the rear. He was so drunk that grabbed his gun and started shooting into the sky from the backyard, laughing like some kind of maniac. Her dog got so scared that ran towards her, shivering, moving his little tail and moaning from pain, terrified by the sounds her uncle was making with the shotguns. That was the same reaction Armin was showing in front of her, but less doggish and more wildly.

Mikasa's blood froze in her veins.

She left the basket against the wooden table standing against the walls and slowly walked towards Eren, he was backward, lying without the leathers to cover his body from the cold. He maintained a fetal position that alerted every single one of Mikasa's senses.

"Eren?"

Mikasa bent to touch his shoulder, but he never felt the touch. Armin approached, passing over Eren's body and went to his face to start licking his forehead repeatedly. Worried, Mikasa grabbed Eren's shoulders to turn his body to one side, face up, and blurt out a shriek when she saw blood pouring down his nose, two large threads of blood ending brazenly in the corner of his lips.

"E-Eren!"

She touched his forehead. He was burning, soaking wet and cold hands. Now, Armin's behavior made so much sense.

He had some kind of fever. Mikasa sweep away his hair from his forehead, moistening her hand in the process. Her gentle touch made him indolently open his eyes, they looked red and wet, his lips were dry, his body was screaming for liquid.

"M-Mikasa?" He asked, not quite sure.

"Eren, what happened?" She was shaking. "You're burning up with fever."

He sighed, making a grin from the pain.

"I-I… after e-every transformation… my body… ah…" he panted, touching his right arm. "It h-hurts…"

Mikasa's heart throbbed furiously within her chest. Rapidly she took a hanky that was lying on the floor and wiped out the blood spread in his nose. Took some blankets to covered him up, even though she knew that wasn't the best choice, it wouldn't bring down his temperature.

"Stay here, Eren, don't move. I'll go back to Shiganshina to bring some medicines or something, a-anything…"

He grabbed her hand before Mikasa could even get up from the floor.

"D-Don't… " He shuttered, gasping. "Don't go back, if they know that you, y-you…"

"Stay here," she repeated, firmly. "I'll be right back."

Mikasa went to the table and scooped out all the stuff inside the basket, leaving it empty. Then, the race just begun. She ran through the same path with all of her strength, carrying the empty basket within her shaky arms, and once she got home Mikasa felt glad to notice that Kenny wasn't there yet. She gave a quick glance to the clock hanging at the entrance; it was just 5:00 o'clock. She had time.

Mikasa ran towards Kenny's bedroom and opened one of the drawers of his closet that kept the money to steal some of his savings. She could already view herself engulfed into a huge, huge problem if Kenny knew that some of his money was missing because of Mikasa. He only gave her the little bag lying on top of the table, nothing more, enough to buy some food. But she had spent all of it on Eren's clothing and Armin's grapes. In any case, the main goal was to help Eren. Whatever could happen with Kenny, she would manage to find a solution in time.

She left the house with the basket and the money, and traveled the city towards The Hag's Cure, Ilse's alchemy store. There she would be able to find everything she needed to help Eren.

For Mikasa's luck the store was almost empty, but Ilse remained behind the counter reading a book with a dull expression on her face. She flicked up her gaze, surprised to see her there. Mikasa knew the store too well, unfortunately. During long periods of sickness—flu and cold—she had to travel the entire town way to the store, weak and dizzy, in order to get some professional help, for Kenny never moved a single finger to lend her a hand. Mikasa was definitely one of her best clients.

"Oh, Mikasa!" She yelled, showing a pretty smile. "Well, well. Who'd say that the girl who lived would come to my store tod—"

Mikasa disrupted her greetings, desperate, panting after a long and lingering travel through the city.

"Y-You have to help me, I—"

Putting the book aside, Ilse frowned, walking towards her and abandoning her sarcasm. "Hey, calm down," she said, worried. Her long and dark hair secured with a ponytail. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Mikasa tried to breathe, searching for the right words.

"I-I need something that can bring the fever down. Aspen, maybe? The edible one. You sold it to me once."

Ilse nodded and walked to one of the counters to take a small wooden box, opening it and taking a tiny bag full of green herbs. She glanced at Mikasa, sideways.

"Sure. You have the flu?"

Mikasa shook her head, shivering.

"No, it's not for me, it's for… a friend."

Ilse snorted.

"Jean-boo?" She scoffed. "I saw him walking to his house, he looked pretty angry."

Dammit.

"Uh, no. Another friend."

Ilse ignored her comment, a comment that smelled like a lie, but she didn't inquire anything about it, she didn't seem interested either. Ilse was a very skilled merchant whom little she cared about the life of her customers as long as they paid a good amount of money for her products.

She left the packet on the counter. "There you go. Anything else?"

Mikasa nodded quickly.

"Do you have something to ease the pain? Muscular pain or something."

"Milk of the poppy," she suggested, holding in her hands a small white jar. "But I'm telling you, it is costly."

"I don't care about the price," Mikasa said. "Can it end some kind of hemorrhage? Something like a nosebleed."

Ilse arched her brows.

"Dammit, girl, who's dying?"

"Just tell me if it works!" Mikasa yelled, desperate.

Ilse sighed, leaving the jar on the table.

"Maybe. I recommend you to boil it first, it's more effective that way."

She nodded repeatedly.

"F-Fine. Uhm, also, some of anise."

In silence, Ilse prepared all of her orders inside a small fabric bag. She made a knot and left it on top of the counter. "Hundred gold coins."

Mikasa clenched her teeth, bitter, searching the money inside her bag, the bag that brazenly she stole from her uncle Kenny.

"You're a freaking fraud," Mikasa replied, leaving the money on the table.

Ilse smiled brightly.

"Thank for buying on The Hag's Cure. Have a good day!"

Mikasa ignored Ilse's false gratitude and saved all her order inside the basket. She abandoned the store whilst running like an animal and bought two water bottles. Maybe it'd have been better to take some water from the main water well, but she was running out of time. She had spent too much money, yes, but Eren's health was at stake. Trying hard not to stumble, carrying the bottles and the basket filled with medicine, Mikasa marched to the forest again. First, she traveled the route way to her house in order to go unnoticed, she'd make sure to take the path that rose from her backyard. But things changed suddenly when she found Jean planted at the entrance of her main door, arms folded.

He looked kind of shocked to see her there, carrying a basket full of strange things, things that wouldn't be usual for a girl her age to purchase.

"What are you doing with that?" he asked once Mikasa approached enough.

"I can't talk right now, Jean. I'll see you later." Mikasa tried to open the door but Jean stopped her.

"You're going to the forest, right?" He replied, angry. He grabbed one of the herbs inside the basket. "And why you bought all these things? Anise? Why would you buy Anise? You don't look ill. And your uncle keeps getting drunk in the tavern. What are y—"

"Jean, please, I can't talk right now!" She claimed, quivering. "Look, I promise I'll tell you everything later, but not now. I'll see you tonight in your house, okay?"

"Mikasa."

"I'll tell you later, I promise."

Mikasa dodged him and opened the door. She waited a couple seconds until Jean left the entrance and when she knew he was gone, she opened the door again and crossed the garden surrounding the house. The rope was till spreading on the floor, she couldn't use it again to escape from the window. This time, she didn't run so fast. It's not that she didn't want, but the bottles were too heavy and so was the basket, the weight unconsciously slowed her pace. She traveled the same path and once she arrived at Eren's cabin, Armin welcomed her with the same fretful behavior. That meant things didn't change at all.

Mikasa left her equipment in the soil and kneeled by Eren's side.

"Eren? Can you hear me?"

She touched his forehead, he was still burning and the sweat multiplied. From his nose more blood poured down, and the poor boy was shivering like a pig.

"F-Father," he said, crying softly. His eyes remained closed, as if he was dreaming. "Father… I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

He was raving. It was probably due the fever.

Fine. Mikasa thought. What was the next thing to do? She had to be quick. With a sigh, she employed each one of the necessary steps. She poured the water from the cauldron that remained on top of an iron tripod and filled it with Milk of a poppy. She lit the fire and waited as the milk started to boil. Mikasa opened the packet of aspen and took a clay pot that Eren had near the table. She placed the herbs inside and chopped the plant with her fingers in order to get small pieces. She added some drops of water from the bottle she bought and mixed it all up until she got the consistency of a paste.

Behind her back, Eren was still raving.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" he whined, his voice sounding too weak. "I-I didn't want… the basement… I must, I…"

Basement? What was he talking about?

Mikasa bent down to him and opened his mouth, inserting the mixture.

"Eren, listen to me, Eren… you have to chew it," she muttered, grabbing his chin and moving it in order to stimulate the movement, forcing him to retain the mixture within his mouth. "Keep it inside, don't swallow it."

Eren didn't answer, keeping his eyes shut and brows frowned, blurting out whimpers of pain that provoke goose bumps of panic through all of her body, however, he didn't spat the herbs. Mikasa grabbed another recipient and filled it with water, took a cloth to moisten it and placed the hanky on Eren's forehead, an attempt to help bring down his temperature. Hardly but firmly, Mikasa got rid of his shirt and upon his chest she placed the anise, it usually served to eliminate any hindrance that could prevent him from breath properly. She didn't know if he also got a cold, but in a moment like that everything was better than nothing.

When the milk started to boil Mikasa scooped the aspen out of his mouth and helped him to sit in order to drink the milk. She knew the Milk of a poppy could cause drowsiness, so she wasn't surprised when Eren fell asleep almost immediately after drinking the infusion. The nosebleed had stopped, however, Mikasa never quit to keep covering his forehead with wet wipes. He had stopped raving and sweating, and that was a good sign. Time passed by and when she made sure that the fever was gone, she took the wet wipes away along with the anise from his chest. She grabbed his new red sweater and dressed him with it. She adjusted the hat on his head, making sure it covered his ears completely and grabbed the rest of the blankets to cover him up. Now he could afford to sleep under the warmth of a comfy bed.

Mikasa blurted out a sigh, exhausted. That day definitely happened to be the most grueling day of all. She peered down at Armin and smiled softly, took the grapes and his new outfit, finding a place in front of Eren between the mess of blankets that covered the bed and she sat the fox on her lap. Without resistance, Armin let her dress him in the baby outfit. Mikasa was surprised to see that it wasn't necessary to cut the leaves. Armin's legs were long enough to wear it.

She giggled, he looked very funny. After adjusting the clothing, she gave him some grapes. Armin chewed them with excitement, waving his fluffy tail. Hypnotized by the sound and warmth that Armin delivered to her when he found comfort between her arms, Mikasa fell asleep.

 **—o—**

She woke up hours later, when she felt something picking at her check. One, two, three…

"Mikasa."

She recognized Eren's voice, still rammed inside her sleep. Her eyes went open, feeling them sticky, and sighed when she saw the room submerged in darkness. The only visible lightning was coming from the bonfire. Was it night already? Overwhelmed, she looked around, finding Eren beside her with his finger raised in the air. Mikasa's heart shuddered. First, because he was okay. Eren was okay. Secondly, because his face was way too close to her own. But he didn't seem worried about it. The girl sat up, softly placing the palm of her hand against Eren's forehead, even if he wasn't looking ill she had to make sure that the fever was gone.

"You feel better?"

Eren giggled a bit, moving her hand away from his face. Mikasa parted her lips, flustered, cause he didn't let go the grip.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for taking care of me," he thanked, solemn. "It happens to me very often after each transformation. I'm used to it."

Mikasa's heart started bleeding. How could he ever take care of himself that way? How could he not have someone to hold, someone that could keep him warm when he was cold and burning up with fever? Mikasa felt terribly glad that she went to visit him that afternoon. Who knows what would have happened to Eren if she weren't there to take care of him.

Eren kept on talking before Mikasa could say anything else. He let go of her hand to touch the red sweater he was wearing. He still had the hat firmly secure on his head, his brown bangs seeping through his forehead.

"You brought it?" He asked, even if he knew the answer already. "Thank you. You didn't have to."

Mikasa yawned.

"I owe you. You helped me when I first came here," she giggled at the sight of the chocolate landing on each corner of Eren's lips. It seemed like he found the special dessert she made for him. "Did you eat the cupcakes?"

Eren smiled, thrilled.

"You made them?"

Mikasa nodded. She was proud of her job.

"I'll prepare something new for tomorrow," she frowned, this time a bit more worried. "Eren, do you remember what you said before?"

He frowned too, bewildered. "What do you mean?"

He didn't remember.

"You… were raving, during your fever. You mentioned your dad. You were apologizing with him and you said something about a basement. You don't remember?"

Eren pursed his lips, staring at the distance with miserable eyes. He shook his head, trying to focus in all of those memories he didn't seem to remember. That was very odd.

"No… I don't remember anything. A basement? Did I said that?"

Mikasa nodded. She made a pause, trying to find the proper words.

"Eren… why you never want to go to Shiganshina? I know you must stay here in the forest but… did you never think of going there? You didn't born in the woods. Don't you remember your home?"

Eren looked down at his hands. Mikasa found that he was wearing the gloves too.

"My father lived in Shiganshina, that's what he told me. But he left when he found out the truth Erwin Smith kept as a secret. He left long before I was born… I've never been in the town."

Mikasa tilted her face, curious.

"You said you don't know where your father is. Do you think he could be in Shiganshina?"

Eren shook his head repeatedly.

"No, I don't think so. He… he'd have come for me if that was that case. He'd have never left me here all alone."

His comment remained feverishly within her heart. Those words weren't good, not for him. Mikasa grabbed his hand and Eren flicked up his gaze, flabbergasted.

"You're not alone anymore, Eren."

The boy sighed, not daring to break the eye contact. Why? Why that girl with an odd name showed such kindness with him? He didn't deserve it. He was a monster. He killed people. He was just like all the other titans living beyond the forest. Why was Mikasa so gentle with him?

"You have to go, Mikasa," he muttered. "It's late. I'm sorry that you had to stay for—"

"I'm happy that I stayed," she interrupted. "And I'm glad you're okay again."

Eren blushed, flicking nervously and trying to find the courage to ask.

"Uhm, you… you'll return tomorrow? You don't have to do it, you just can—"

Mikasa smiled. She gave him a smile that made his heart stop unexpectedly. What the hell was that? A… heart attack? His father used to say that heart attacks happened when the heart stopped its beating. Eren could've sworn by all the gods and stars above, that his heart stopped breathing and living and feeling at the moment Mikasa smirked at him in the most beautiful ways. But a heart attack provokes death. And in that specific and caressing moment, Eren never felt more alive.

No. That couldn't be a heart attack. It was something else, it was—

"I will always return."

No more words were spoken. Mikasa got out of his humble bed and abandoned the cabin way to Shiganshina. In the exact instant in where the girl left his home, her sweet fragrance of vanilla and lavender engulfed the whole cabin and his heart started throbbing again. But this time, way too fast.

No. It was definitely something _else._

 **—o—**

Mikasa walked the path that led her home with a tender smile on her face. She didn't know exactly what time it was, but night arrived at Shiganshina and a beautiful moon was highlighting the skies above. Absently, she spotted Onix, the titan star—as Eren used to call it—shimmering alongside the moon.

Wow, Mikasa thought. It's really getting closer and closer to the moon.

She arrived home sooner than she expected. Mikasa made sure to go unnoticed, but for her surprise, she didn't spotted soldiers on top of the roofs, guarding the city as always. When she stopped in front of the entrance, Mikasa opened the door making sure to be noiseless as a mouse. She sighed at the sight of Kenny's shoes parked alongside the entrance. He was obviously going to be here. This was his house. A feeling of disappointment immersed her body, but it was a normal thing. She couldn't expect for Kenny to leave and never come back, even when that's what she wished deep inside, more than anything else.

Once the door was closed, Mikasa walked down the kitchen to serve herself a glass of milk, her dry throat claiming for some liquid. Whilst she poured the milk inside the glass, she remembered the promised she gave to Jean; she said she would talk to him tonight in his house. Sideways, Mikasa checked the hour. It was 1:00 AM. She couldn't just pop out and visit him so late in the night. Besides, even if she wanted, what would she said to him? It was better to wait till tomorrow and spend the rest of the night thinking of a good and convenient excuse. As long as she could prolong the lie surrounding Eren's identity and avoid the truth behind her quick trips to the forest every night, everything would be just fine.

After finishing her glass of milk Mikasa twirled around ready to go to sleep, but her body gave a jump when she saw Kenny standing behind her. The overwhelming smell of alcohol that his uncle released despite the considerable space that kept them apart from each other was terrible. And Mikasa knew it wasn't a good sign.

"K-Kenny…"

"Kenny, Kenny," he repeated stupidly, speaking with a childish voice, trying to imitate her. "And finally, you're here. Where the hell have you been?"

"Jean's house." Mikasa hurried to answer, stiff as a rock.

He snorted, squinting his eyes.

"You fucking liar," he claimed, pointing at her with his finger. "That asshole came here asking for you hours ago. So you were with him, huh? Who the hell were you with? With Levi? It seems like you love that little dwarf, don't you? He's handsome, isn't' he? Tell me, niece, he fucks you well?"

Mikasa clenched her fists and dodged him in a sudden manner, giving him her back ready to find shelter in the safety of her room. But being ignored that way made him go even crazier. He turned around, furiously slamming his hat on the floor.

"Don't turn your back on me, you little bitch! Come here, goddammit!" Kenny yelled, coming down at her to grab her arm, but Mikasa managed to break the clutch in his hand. "You fucking whore, you stole money from me, don't you? Look at me and tell me the truth, because a bag of coins is missing from my drawer!"

She didn't reply. She knew, she knew Kenny would realize that sooner or later. Her silence was the only answer he needed.

"Do you think just because Erwin Smith gave me a fortune for letting him take you to the forest, you can do whatever the fuck you want and steal as much money as you want from me? You think my money belongs to you, you fucking brat?"

Once again, he was ignored. Mikasa turned around, desperate to leave, but Kenny held the back of her hair firmly. She screamed, bewildered, and the pain increased its intensity when Kenny shook her from one extreme to another.

"You fucking dwarf's slut!"

"Let go of me!" Mikasa screamed, trying to remove Kenny's hand from her hair.

"You'll see how I—˝

Kenny's niggling stopped when, very unexpectedly, a spit of saliva flew all the way down arriving on Kenny's face. He flicked, breaking the grip of her hair, too disordered to even process the situation. He ran his hand all over his face, removing the excess of saliva and his eyes dwelled on Mikasa, as if he couldn't believe it was she, the sweet and innocent girl, the one who did such thing. Mikasa trembled, looking at his cold eyes, almost repenting of doing such thing under Eren's influence, and Kenny's astonished features transformed into something she didn't have the pleasure to see from a very long time.

Unfortunately, she was hoping to never see it again. But it came back.

 _I'll teach you to spit, like a boy would do. If he bothers you again, you just have to spit him. It always works._

It was the worst decision she ever made.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

As fast as she could, Mikasa turned around and started running up the stairs, hearing the furious steps of her uncle following her from behind. It was ridiculous, there was no one in there that could protect her from him, but it was an unconscious act of self-defense. She ran through the aisles with all of her heart, gasping and hoping for a miracle whilst Kenny's screams filled the house with fear. She shouted when Kenny's hand grabbed her hair once again. He slammed her body against the wall, her forehead crashing against the wood, her weeping asking for a help that never came, not a single soul to hear.

That night, Mikasa gained the beating of her life.

* * *

Lmao, I'm sorry for being so dramatic.

About the legend of Hitobashira, I found it once in a very random way and I immediately thought of Shingeki, who knows, maybe Isayama got some inspiration from there. Once again, excuse any grammar mistakes, and make sure to follow me on my tumblr (ladywongs) in where I usually post updates of my fics and stuff.

Also, if you wanna read more Eremika, go to my profile and check out **Scars Deeper Than Love** , my newest Eremika longfic.

If you liked this chapter, please review! Reviews are the inspiration of every writer :)

See y'all very soon!

 _ **—Mel.**_


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